A Year of Wonder
by britt.writer
Summary: Draco and Hermione return for their final year at Hogwarts as Headboy and Headgirl after the downfall of Lord Voldemort. They form a tenuous friendship that soon begins to blossom into something more. Can they stay strong and keep their relationship going through all the rumors and ridicule? And what will they do when an unexpected situation comes up?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Voldemort was defeated. Harry, Ron, and I were getting the chance to retake our seventh year at Hogwarts. I had been chosen to be Headgirl. Life was looking pretty good from where I was standing. I smiled as I watched students walk past the Heads compartment on the train. I was waiting for McGonagall and the Headboy to show up for our meeting. I was, as usual, quite early. I'd settled down and was reading _Hogwarts, A History_ for the millionth time. My head snapped up as I heard the compartment door slide open. I was completely surprised at who I saw standing in the doorway.

"Malfoy?" I asked incredulously, "_You're_ Headboy?"

"It appears that way." Malfoy responded with an edge in his voice. He walked in and sat down opposite me, pulling out a book and studiously ignoring me. I took this time to study the man in front of me.

The war had changed everything. Deatheater were in Azkaban. Their families were being kept under strict watch of the Ministry. Most all Purebloods had realized that the old ways would just not stand any longer and had given up the old blood prejudices. Of course, not everybody was going to change. I'd noticed a fair few who had thrown dirty looks my direction or muttered _Mudblood_ under their breath as I'd walked by. I chose to ignore these comments and looks and carry on with my day. Malfoy appeared to be one of the one's who had changed. He no longer had a permanent sneer or smirk on his face. He still walked with his head held high and a prideful swagger, but he no longer looked at others as if they weren't worth the dirt he walked on from what I could tell. He still looked the same with his platinum blonde hair, grey eyes, aristocratic features, pale skin, and lean, muscular build, but he had _changed _somehow.

"Why are you staring, Granger?" Malfoy drawled

"I'm not staring!" I said defensively as I whipped my head to look out the window

"Sure looked that way to me." He muttered

I opened my mouth to retort, but McGonagall chose that moment to enter. She glanced between Malfoy and I and shook her head.

"Still arguing, I see." She observed lightly

We both chose to ignore that comment and turned to stare at the Headmistress, who was shaking her head with an amused look about her face.

"First off, you two are this year's Headboy and girl and you are expected to act as such. I know asking you not to argue is asking too much, but I do ask that if you must argue, you keep it confined in your dormitory. Yes, you will share a dormitory. You will have separate bedrooms, of course, but will share a common room, kitchen, and bathroom. Other students will look to you as an example of behavior, personal and academic. You will conduct yourselves as such when you are out of your dormitory. You will be in charge of patrol schedules in which you must include yourselves and the Prefects. You will be in charge of scheduling all Hogsmeade trips, two school dances, and all holiday feasts and celebrations. You will work together on these events and I will supervise. Any questions?"

"Where is our dormitory located, Professor?" I asked immediately

"You two will meet me in the Entrance Hall after the feast and I will lead you to your dormitory and give you the password."

I nodded and McGonagall turned to leave. As the door slid shut again, I glanced at Malfoy. He was staring out the window, lost in his own thoughts. I sighed and knew a truce had be called.

"Malfoy," I began, "We need to call a truce. If we have to work together this whole year and set an example for other students, something will have to change between us."

"Like what, Granger? Do you want us to be _friends_?" he retorted sarcastically.

"No, I don't." I said haughtily, "We have to get along though. Being a Head is a huge responsibility. McGonagall chose you for a reason, whatever that may be. I may not like you or agree with her choice, but it is what it is. We have to find some way to get along, at least in public."

Malfoy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Can we sort this out later? I'm rather tired at the moment and I really don't feel like listening to you nag at me the whole train ride."

He promptly stretched out on the seat and threw an arm over his eyes. I huffed and stood to exit the compartment, all the while muttering under my breath about how this year would play out. I made my way to the compartment that Harry, Ron, and Ginny were seated in. I fell into a seat beside Ginny and sighed.

"How'd the meeting go?" Harry asked

"Bloody Malfoy is Headboy." I grumbled

"What?! How?! Why?!" Ron fired off questions rapidly

"I don't know, Ronald. McGonagall chose him to be Headboy, so there had to be some reason for it." I said tiredly.

"Go talk to McGonagall. I'm sure she can do something about it." Harry urged

"Oh, shut up, both of you." Ginny spoke up, "McGonagall won't change her mind, you know that. Hermione and Malfoy are both adults and I'm sure they'll work out some kind of truce."

Harry and Ron sat back in their seats with sour looks on their faces, but I quickly changed the topic. We talked about the upcoming school year and our summers for the remainder of the train ride. When the tree's began to grow thicker and the sky darker, the boys left the compartment to change into their robes while Ginny and I did the same. We pulled our luggage from the overhead racks and prepared to lug it all to the carriages.

Dinner went by rather quickly after the sorting and McGonagall's speech. Harry and Ron spent the whole feast grumbling about the fact that I would be sharing a dormitory with Malfoy between bites of food. Ginny and I ignored them as we talked about how much more fun girls' nights would be due to the fact that I had my own room now. The feast was over far too quickly for my liking and I sighed as I told the boys and Ginny goodnight and stepped out into the Entrance Hall to wait for McGonagall and Malfoy.

"This way, please." The Headmistress said as she began to walk up the stairs. She led us to the fifth floor and stopped in front of a portrait of a happy looking couple. The man had is arms wrapped around the woman's waist and her head was tilted back to look up at him. She had a large smile on her lips and the man was staring at her in an adorable way, "Hello, Emily and David. Meet this year's Headboy and girl, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."

"Hello," the couple said in unison, "Password?"

"_Pax." _McGonagall said clearly and then turned to Malfoy and I, "It means 'peace' and you have the ability to change it. Just make sure to keep each other updated on the current password. Now, if you'll follow me."

We stepped through the portrait hole and I felt my lips part in surprise. The room was not decorated in Gryffindor or Slytherin colors as I thought it would be. No, the room was decorated in neutral colors. The walls were a dark espresso with tan trimmings. The curtains were chestnut colored and the furniture was all beige. To the left was an open door, through which I could see a sink and a stove; our own kitchen! To the right was a giant marble fireplace with a bookshelf on either side of it, fully stocked with books. In each corner beside the bookshelves was a door. One door had a large H engraved on it and the other a large D; our bedrooms. Along the wall just across from us was a large window with a desk on either side of it.

"As you can see, you have your own private kitchen. Just imagine what you would like and it will appear either on the table or the countertop. You each have a desk to use as a study area if you wish. I'm sure you can tell which door leads to your room. Inside your rooms there will be a door leading to a shared bathroom. Your rooms are white and void of decoration, at the moment. All you have to do is imagine how you want it to look and the room will decorate itself accordingly. The same applies to the bathroom. I suggest you two sit down and talk about how you'd like the bathroom to appear or you're in for a lot of arguing. I'll leave you to explore your new living space. Goodnight." The Headmistress turned and exited the room.

Malfoy and I stood there, looking around in awe.

"I have my own kitchen!" I squealed excitedly as I hurried through the open door.

"What's this thing?" Draco questioned.

I turned to see him staring at the stove in confusion.

"It's a stove. Muggles use it to cook."

"Why do we need one? We have magic and house elves."

I rolled my eyes, "I figure it's there because I come from a muggle home and I, for one, enjoy cooking from scratch, Malfoy."

I watched as Malfoy sneered at the stove and turned to exit the kitchen.

"Whatever, Granger. I'm going to my room."

I shook my head and took one last gleeful look at the kitchen before bounding across the common room and into the door with the large H on it. I looked around the bland room for a moment and then closed my eyes and pictured my room at home. I opened my eyes and clapped happily. It looked just like my room at home! The walls were lime green and the floor was covered with thick black carpet. The queen sized bed was covered with lime green sheets and a fluffy black comforter with swirling patterns in white. A large overstuffed white chair was placed in the corner with a matching foot stool and a black bookshelf beside it. A white vanity and dresser were along the wall opposite my bed. I opened the closet door to see all of my clothing already inside; the same was true of the dresser. I smiled in contentment before walking over the bookshelf beside my chair. It was stocked with all of my favorite books; muggle and magical. I threw myself down on the bed and sighed in contentment. I was just about to get comfy when I heard Malfoy call for me from the only door I hadn't opened. I stood and walked to the door slowly. As I shuffled inside the bathroom, Malfoy watched me with an impatient look about himself.

"Let's get this done so we can go to bed and know that we won't argue about it later," Malfoy sighed, "What were you thinking?"

I closed my eyes and when I opened them, Malfoy was looking around.

"Hm. Not bad, Granger." He said

The walls were a dark blue with a black trim running around the ceiling. There was a mat outside of the shower and one in front of the toilet, both black. The counter top was a black marble and the baskets holding our toiletries matched the walls. There was a grey shelf beside the shower that held white towels.

"Would you like to change anything?" I asked, surprised that Malfoy wasn't sneering in disgust at my decorating.

"Just one thing." He replied as the previously wooden floor turned into grey ceramic tile.

I nodded, "Okay. Are we done? We agree that the bathroom suits us both?"

"Yeah, Granger. We're done." Malfoy turned on his heel and walked back into his bedroom. I did the same.

I changed into a baggy t-shirt and crawled under my covers. I took one last look around my bedroom, smiled, and shut off the lights.

_This is gonna be a great year._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The first week back to school was frantic. The first meeting with the Prefects wasn't going as Prefects were not happy with McGonagall's choice of Headboy.

"Sit _down_, Collins." I said severly, "And the rest of you lot, _shut up_!"

Slowly, the Ravenclaw Prefect sat back down in his seat and the rest of the Prefects turned to stare at me in silence. It wasn't very often that I raised my voice, so they were all rather surprised.

"Now, I know that we've had a rough history with Slytherins. All of us have. McGonagall chose Draco for this position for a reason and you will _all _abide by her choices. He is your Headboy and you_ will_ respect him! I do not care what your personal feelings may be about this matter, you will all _grow up_ and prove to us that you are mature enough to handle your responsibilities or so help me, I will have you demoted and replaced. _Have I made myself clear_?" I said softly, a dangerous edge to my voice.

General murmurs of consent rang throughout the room. I nodded in approval and continued, "Now, as I was saying. You each hold a copy of your patrol routes in your hand. You are expected to patrol according to the dates and times listed at the bottom. After Christmas break, your routes, dates, and times will switch up. You are not allowed to dock points or give detentions until you have proven that you will not act as you just have here tonight. Your patrols start tomorrow evening. Goodnight."

As the Prefects filed out of the room in silence, I glanced at Malfoy. He was leaning against the wall, looking rather defeated.

"Thank you." He said quietly, "You didn't have to do that."

"I did. As much as I may not like you, you were chosen to be Headboy for a reason and therefore you should be treated as such. I will not stand for all this prejudice and judgment that, by all rights, should have disappeared after the war." I explained softly, "Now, I'm going back to the dormitory to work on homework."

I began to walk away and glanced back to see Malfoy following me at a slower pace.

_Maybe he's not so bad anymore_, I thought. Then I shook my head, _He's still Malfoy. Arrogant, prideful, and infuriating._

I climbed through the portrait hole and settle down in one of the overstuffed chairs in front of the fireplace. As I pulled my books and assignments out of my bag, I noticed Malfoy settle down in the chair opposite me and quietly start doing the same. I chose to ignore him and carry on with my work. We worked in silence for a whole hour before I bothered to look up from my books. I felt a small smile form on my face against my will. Malfoy had fallen asleep. His head was resting against the back of the chair and his arms were limply hanging over either side of the chair. The books in his lap looked precariously close to crashing into the floor and the essay that he'd started had a large ink smear right across the middle of it.

_He looks rather innocent when he sleeps._

I gently shook my head and set my books aside. I slowly made my way over to Malfoy and gently touched his shoulder. Malfoy jumped up violently, eyes looking around wildly until they landed on me. I was standing there, staring at him in shock. Upon seeing the look on my face, Malfoy quickly relaxed and raised a hand to rub the back of his head guiltily, his cheeks flushing.

"Sorry, Granger. Didn't mean to scare you. I should have warned you about that particular response. I'm kind of violent when I get woken up unexpectedly." Malfoy muttered sleepily.

"It-it's o-okay." I cleared my throat, "I'll keep it in mind for future reference. I was just going to tell you to head to bed. You fell asleep and managed to smear ink all over your essay."

"Crap. I'll have to rewrite it tomorrow, I guess." Malfoy said as he looked sorrowfully at his almost complete essay.

"Well.. Goodnight, I suppose." I said awkwardly

"Yeah.. 'night, Granger." Malfoy turned and walked into his room.

_What would cause a reaction like that? Just from someone touching his shoulder?_ I stared curiously at Malfoy's now closed door. With a sigh, I extinguished our fire and walked into my own room, sleep was calling my name.

"So, how's living with Malfoy?" Ron asked sourly as we ate breakfast the next morning.

I sighed, "It's fine, Ron."

"Fine? Just _fine_? Not.. not terrible or ghastly?"

"Calm down, Ron. It's not like we see each other all that much. We have separate classes and bedrooms. The only time we really talk is during meetings." I explained

"What do you guys talk about?" Harry interjected

I sighed, giving up on eating as I was obviously going to be interrogated this morning, "We talk about all the Heads duties we have, what we have to plan, patrols. Just school stuff, Harry."

"Just school? Nothing personal? He never talks about his parents or childhood or Voldemort?"

"Give it a rest, Harry!" I exclaimed, "The war is over. People have changed. I don't like him much either, but for Merlin's sake, grow up!"

And with that I exited the Great Hall, Harry and Ron staring after me with dumbfounded looks on their faces. Ginny snorted into her pumpkin juice as I stomped away, causing me to smile just a little bit. Five minutes later, I heard footsteps behind me and I turned to see Ginny catching up to me.

"I miss you, Mione. No one ever yells at them anymore and they've gotten quite the egos from it. They think they can say and do whatever they want now. We need you around to keep them under control. Dunderheads." Ginny chuckled

I smiled and we continued walking down the corridor in silence until Ginny asked, "Why did you defend Malfoy? Do you like him now?"

"No, I don't necessarily like him, Gin. I'm just tired of the immaturity. We just went through a war. Don't you think that old prejudices should be left behind? No, I don't like him, but we are civil to each other. We have to work together and he's obviously redeemed himself in McGonagall's eyes so I see no reason to not trust him. If McGonagall picked him to be Headboy, she had a good reason for it." I explained quietly

Ginny nodded in understanding. Situations like this were why I loved Ginny. She'd keep her emotions under control and think logically. Unlike Harry and Ron, Ginny would think before she acted. I was beyond grateful to have her as a friend. Before we parted for classes, I made Ginny promise to come stay with me that night. We were in need of girl talk desperately.

I was rushing down the corridor, trying to get to class on time, when I crashed into something solid. My book bag spilled all over the hall, mixing in with the belongings of whoever I'd crashed into.

"Ohh, I'm sorry!" I groaned as I bent down to gather up my books.

"It happens, Granger. Don't worry about it."

I froze and looked up to see Malfoy also bent down trying to gather his books, as well. _No snide comment? _I wondered

"Why are you staring again, Granger?" Malfoy drawled

"You didn't insult me. You didn't even comment on the fact that I just knocked all of your books all over the hall." I said in surprise

Malfoy rolled his eyes and stood, handing me a stack of books I recognized as my own. "We've all got to grow up sometime, don't we?"

And with that, Malfoy continued down the corridor while I watching his retreating figure in confusion.

_What is up with that boy?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Ron, stop it. I said no, I meant no. We had a summer fling, decided _together_ that we were better friends, and called it quits. I'm sticking by that. Just because Lavender is off snogging some other guy, does _not_ mean that you can turn to me to try the same thing." I said furiously as I poked a finger roughly into Ron's chest.

"Oh, come on! We had fun, didn't we? What's a little more fun?" Ron whined

"No, Ron! Now, stop it!"

I turned and began to walk away. I snapped my head around when Ron grabbed my elbow to keep me from getting away. He had an irritated look on his face, "You will not walk away from me."

"I will do whatever I damn well please, Ronald. And you will let go of me or I will make you let go of me." I said softly, but with a dangerous edge to my voice.

Ron didn't used to be like this. He used to be sweet and kind. We'd had a small fling over the summer. We never went all the way; just a bit of heavy snogging and light touching. After a month or two of it, we'd called it quits because we felt as if we made better friends. I was truly done, but as I'd just now found out, Ron wasn't. He'd found out earlier in the day that Lavender was off snogging another guy in a broom cupboard and was furious because he had been that guy the night before and took it to mean that they would be getting back together. Turns out he'd thought wrong. Wanting to get even with her, Ron as sought me out and tried to charm me into a kiss. I refused and he tried again and now here we are. He may be bigger and stronger than me, Quidditch had refined his body after all, but I was furious and there was no denying that I was a better witch than he was a wizard. Ron didn't heed my warning and I felt his grip on my elbow tighten as he yanked me against his chest harshly.

"Let go of her, Weasley." Said a cool voice from behind me. I didn't need to look to know who it was; the look that came over Ron's face told me everything I needed to know. His cheeks turned red and his eyes darkened in anger.

"Bugger off, Malfoy. We're talking." Ron spat

"Doesn't look that way to me. It appears that you're manhandling the Headgirl and she doesn't look too happy about it." Malfoy said nonchalantly.

"Oh, I think you'll find she's perfectly happy about it, actually. We had a summer fling and were just about to pick it back up." Ron said with a smirk

"We were not!" I interjected angrily, "Let go of me, Ronald, or so help me I will hex you."

"No. We're not done talking."

"Oh, I think you are, Weasley." Malfoy said in an icy tone

"What are you going to do about it, Ferret?" Ron sneered

"Granger, I suggest you duck." Malfoy said an instant before his fist connected with Ron's nose.

I felt Ron's hand release my elbow as he staggered back, a hand to his nose and blood seeping from his fingers.

"What the fuck, Malfoy?" he yelled in a nasally voice

"I told you to let her go. You didn't listen. Even I would never stoop so low as to force myself on someone, Weasley." Malfoy sneered as he wrapped his long, cool hand around my arm to pull me into a standing position. I felt myself lean closer to him as Ron took a few steps forward. Ron noticed this small motion and raised his eyebrows incredulously.

"You can't be serious, Hermione. You feel safer with the ferret than you do with me?"

"Yes, Ronald, right now I do." I said softly as I felt the prickle of tears in my eyes, "Just go back to your dormitory and leave me alone."

Ron's face turned red and he glared at me, "Fine. I hope you're happy with yourself. You've turned into a right traitor."

I pulled in a deep breath in an effort to hold back the tears in my eyes as Ron walked away clutching his nose. As soon as he'd turned the corner, I felt cool fingers on my cheek.

"Don't cry, Granger. He's not worth it. No girl deserves that kind of treatment. Especially from the likes of him." Malfoy said softly.

"Why are you still here? Why were you hear in the first place?" I asked in a shaky voice

"I was on the way back to the dormitory when I just happened to see that you looked frightened and Weasley looked angry. I stopped and listened for a moment and then realized what was going on. I may be a right git, but even I won't force myself on a girl. Now, come on, back to the dormitory." He answered and lightly touched my back to guide me down the hall.

We walked back in silence. I was staring at the ground and trying to keep the tears from falling. Malfoy was watching me out of the corner of his eye with an indescribable look on his face. When we got back to the dormitory, he led me to the sofa in front of the fire and presented me with a cup of steaming peppermint tea. I breathed in the soothing sent and took a drink as Malfoy seated himself next to me, close enough for me to know he was there without him actually touching me.

"Thank you." I said softly after a few minutes.

"You're welcome," he replied just as softly, "What caused that? I mean, why would Weasley do that to you. Aren't you his best friend, or something like that?"

"I thought so. I thought he'd gotten over it; our little fling." I sighed, "He didn't used to be like that. He used to be so sweet and so caring. I guess it just went to his head."

"Tell me about it."

"Why? Why should I do that?"

"Well, you look like you need to get something off your chest. I'm here, willing to listen, at the moment. We don't hardly know each other so I'm not going to go off and judge you for anything." Malfoy shrugged, "Just tell me about the summer and why he's changed his behavior."

I sat my tea down, gingerly, on the table and leaned back into the cushions of the sofa. I heaved a large sigh and set my gaze on the fire that was blazing in the fireplace.

"It was an accident, really. Ron and I had gone on a walk to give Harry and Ginny some privacy, hoping they'd resolve whatever issue they had and get back together. It was a nice summer day, not too hot or cold and sunny. We decided to take a swim and were wrestling around in the water. At one point we stopped for a breather and out of the blue, he kissed me. It was something new and exciting for me. I'd never had a summer love before and I was enthralled immediately. He was so romantic at first; taking me out on picnics and leaving me flowers laying around the house." I took a moment to smile at the memory, "Then we started snogging. A lot. Every free moment we had, we were locked away somewhere together. He wanted to go farther and I didn't. I called it quits, saying that we were better off as friends. He agreed. Said he felt the same way. Obviously, he lied. He spent the rest of the summer dropping subtle hints about what had occurred between us. Tonight was the first night he'd actually approached me about it, though. He's mad because he thought that he and Lavender were going to get together, but found out that she was locked in a broom cupboard with some other guy tonight. He was looking to get even. Guess he thought that I'd be up for being used like that."

Malfoy snorted, "Idiot."

I just nodded in agreement and sat there, staring into the flames. I jumped in surprise when I felt an arm come around my shoulders and pull me into an embrace.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" I asked in shock

"It's called a hug and you looked like you could use one." He answered sarcastically

"But.. But I'm a _Mudblood_. And you're touching me."

I watched as he rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Oh, come on. I know you haven't been around me a whole lot, but have I called you a Mudblood since we've started school again?"

No. No, he had not. Strange. I smiled a small smile and looked up at him, "Truce?"

Malfoy chuckled and I was shocked at the transformation that one small action made to his face. His features became softer and he didn't look so.. so Malfoy-ish. He looked like a normal teenage boy. He looked handsome. I mentally smacked myself for that thought.

"Yeah. Truce, Granger."

"Good." I stood and began to move toward my room, "And thank you, again, Malfoy. For saving me and for talking to me."

"No problem. Goodnight, Granger."

I smiled and took one last look at him before closing my door softly.

_Well, who would have seen this coming?_ I asked myself as I walked to my dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a shirt. _I think I just made a new friend._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I sat in front of the fire long after Granger had gone to bed. My eyes were focused on the flames, but all I could see was the look on her face when Weasley wouldn't let go of her. Granger was always so confident and fierce that most people don't realize that she's really just a tiny, petite girl. Hell, even I didn't realize just how small she actually was until I saw her being manhandled by a man who was much larger than herself. Despite the fact that she was obviously scared and being overpowered, she had masked it well. The only way you could tell she was scared was when you saw her eyes. I admired that about her; she was always going to put up a brave front. _Gryffindors_, I thought exasperatedly as I shook my head. I turned my thoughts to Weasley. _Bloody bastard._ What kind of man would try to force himself on a woman? I don't exactly have a glowing record with Granger, but even I respect her more than that. I may be a Slytherin through and through, but I've got more bloody standards than the weasel.

I sighed and shook my head lightly as I stood up and stretched. I extinguished the fire and walked to my room. Why did I even care? It was just bloody Granger. So what if she was basically attacked? She's always been able to take care of herself before. Granted, I wouldn't really want to hex one of my best friends either. Unless it was Pansy. Bloody clingy woman. Still, Granger should have hexed him. Any man who would try to force himself on a woman isn't really a man at all. Just remembering the look on her face when he had hold of her wrist was enough to make my blood boil. I closed my door behind me and grabbed a pair of boxers from my dresser. I walked into the bathroom and stopped in my tracks. Granger was sitting in the tub portion of the shower, her head resting on the ledge and bubbles covering her body from her shoulders and down. She was asleep, tear tracks visible on her cheeks.

_How to go about this?_ I thought awkwardly. _I'm not sure she'd like to wake up to me. Which is strange. All girls like to wake up to my face, but Granger is a special case. She might actually hex me if I scare her._

I slowly crept over to the tub and reached a hand down hesitantly to touch her shoulder. She jerked awake and her head popped up as she looked around, startled. As her eyes landed on me, she shrieked and her arms came up to cross over her chest.

"Malfoy! What are you _doing_?!" she screamed at me.

"You fell asleep! I wanted a shower and you were sleeping in the tub!" I said defensively

"Can't you at least cover your eyes?!"

I slapped a hand over my eyes and heard water sloshing around followed by the sound of wet skin slapping on the tile floor.

"You can look now." Granger said softly.

I slowly lowered my hand to see her wrapped in a towel, standing in front of me. I dipped my head down and stared at the floor awkwardly.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"It's alright, Malfoy. Just knock next time." I heard Granger say, amusement plain in her voice.

"What's so funny?" I asked defensively

"You." She giggled, "You look like a child who's been scolded. Your cheeks are flushed and everything."

"They are not!" I cried as I felt my cheeks redden even more

"Are too."

"Hmph." I crossed my arms over my chest, "Whatever, Granger. Are you gonna get out so I can shower or not?"

"Hmm.. I don't think so."

I snapped my head up in surprise and stared at her with wide eyes.

"I'm just kidding, Malfoy." She said with a soft smile, "I'll see you tomorrow."

I stood stock still, staring after Granger with a look of surprise on my face.

_So she does have a sense of humor_. I thought in shock.

"Bloody weird girl." I murmured as I shook my head and stepped into the shower.

I giggled as I shut the door to the bathroom, glancing one last time at Malfoy's surprised features.

_Silly kid_. I thought. _He acted as if he'd never seen a girl's body before._

I snorted at that thought and dropped my towel to the floor. I rummaged through my dresser and threw a large shirt over my head then pulled my knickers up my legs. I crawled into bed and sighed as I snuggled into my pillows. It had been a long day and I was glad to see it end.

_Maybe tomorrow will be better._

The morning dawned cloudy and cold. I had never wanted to spend the day in bed so badly. I glanced once more out the window and decided that I deserved a day to myself. It was Saturday, after all. I could spare to spend another couple of hours lounging around in my bed. I snuggled deeper into my blankets and closed my eyes blissfully.

"Oi! Granger! Get up!" Malfoy yelled as he pounded on my door.

I shrieked and rolled off the bed in my hurry to sit up. I glared at the door as I rubbed my arse where it had connected with the floor.

"What do you want?" I growled loudly

"It's Saturday. We've got a meeting with the Prefects in half an hour and I bet you're not dressed!" Malfoy called smugly through the door

"Fine, fine." I grumbled, "I'm up."

I stomped over to my closet and took out an orange and pink striped sweater dress. I grabbed a pair of black leggings from my dresser and slipped into my clothing. I swept my hair up into a loose ponytail and slipped a pair of black flats onto my feet. I walked over to my vanity and applied a light amount of mascara and lip gloss.

_That's as good as it's gonna get today_, I sighed to myself and exited my room.

"About bloody time." Malfoy mumbled as he pushed himself off the wall beside my door and walked across the common room.

I shuffled after him, wistfully glancing back at my bedroom door, "What do we have to cover today?"

"We need to get the Halloween Ball all organized and set up the Hogsmeade trips."

"Okay. Any ideas about the dance?" I yawned

"I've got a fair few." Malfoy smirked

I rolled my eyes and we continued the walk in silence. Malfoy held the door to the Charms classroom open and directed me in. The Prefects were already inside and seated, waiting expectantly. I hopped up onto Professor Binn's desk and kicked my feet while waiting on Malfoy to make his way up to the front of the room.

"Right, you lot, we're planning the Halloween Ball today. We also need to set up Hogsmeade trips. Any suggestions?" Malfoy said briskly as he stood beside the desk I was sitting on.

"We're having a Halloween Ball?" a Hufflepuff Prefect squealed

I rolled my eyes and slid off the desk to stand beside Malfoy, "Yes. We're also having a Christmas Ball that will be planned after Halloween. Now, does anybody have any _decorating_ suggestions for the Halloween Ball?"

"Granger and I were thinking about a Masquerade. We also tossed around the idea of having it outside before the weather got too cold." Malfoy said when nobody put forth any effort of a response.

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. We'd discussed no such thing, but I was curious as to why he'd given me some of the credit for what was obviously his idea.

"Outside would be nice. Especially for a Halloween Ball." One of the Ravenclaw Prefects said quietly when all other Prefects were staring at Malfoy stonily.

I smiled and nodded in gratitude at the Ravenclaw boy. _At least not all of them are opposed to the fact that people change_, I thought as I stared around the room.

"Guys, come on. Malfoy is your Headboy and you're all going to have to accept that. He's got some good ideas. You can't just ignore everything he says." I sighed in exasperation.

"Wanna bet?" muttered a Gryffindor Prefect.

"Get out, Davis." I said as I pointed to the door

"What? What do you mean "get out?"" said Davis, the Gryffindor boy Prefect, outraged

"I'd think you should know what I mean. Get out of your seat and march yourself out of this classroom. Consider yourself suspended from your position until farther notice. Now, leave." I ordered sternly.

Davis stood and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind himself.

"Does anybody else have any objections?" I asked sweetly as I looked around the room, "Didn't think so. Now, we need to get this ball planned out."

Malfoy cleared his throat and pointed at the Hufflepuff girl, "O'Dell. Let's hear a suggestion."

The girl, O'Dell, jumped slightly and cleared her throat, "Um.. How about candle-lit pumpkins as the light source?"

"Great! Good idea for Halloween. Other suggestions, anybody?" Malfoy said as I wrote the idea on the board. The meeting carried on for another hour with no more mishaps. The Prefects started talking more freely and Malfoy pretty much took control of the meeting while I wrote the ideas down on the board. It had been decided that the dance would be a Masquerade, it would be outside, we would have candle-lit pumpkins spread over the grounds for light with strings of lights strung through the tree's and around the main entrance to the castle, all years could attend, and there would be a table of refreshments located down beside the lake. We'd decided to have Hogsmeade trips on the first weekend of each month. With those plans made, Malfoy and I called it good enough and dismissed the Prefects.

"Well, I think we made some good progress." I stated as Malfoy and I walked back to our common room

"Yeah. I think you scared them when you suspended Davis, though." Malfoy chuckled

"Well, they need to grow up." I stated with a sigh, "The Wizarding World is changing and they need to realize that."

"Well, looks like you've got another one who hasn't realized that yet."

I looked up and saw an angry Ron stomping toward us.

"What the hell, Hermione?" he asked angrily

"What do you want, Ronald?" I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. I could feel a migraine forming already.

"You suspended Davis from his Prefect duties? Why? Because he doesn't like Malfoy?"

"No, Ronald. I suspended him from his Prefect duties for being a royal git and not respecting his superiors." I explained tiredly

"Bullocks! You can't do that!"

"I can and I did. Now drop it and get out of my way."

"What's gotten into you, Hermione? First you refuse me, then you run off with the ferret, and now you're _defending_ him?" Ron asked heatedly.

"First off, you attacked me and tried to force yourself on me! Malfoy came along and saved me, so yes, I went with him. Excuse me for choosing to leave with the man who _won't_ try to attack me! And I am upholding my duty as Headgirl to ensure that Prefects do their jobs without prejudice and with respect! Now, for the last time, get out of my way, Ronald!" I said, my eyes blazing with anger. _How dare he?_

"I can't believe you, Hermione! You're abandoning your friends to be with him, of all people! You are such a traitor!" Ron took a menacing step toward me and before I could even reach for my wand, Malfoy had pulled me behind his back.

"Move along, Weasley. You're done here. Granger is the Headgirl and you will treat her as such or you'll be dealing with me." Malfoy said coolly.

"Shove off, Malfoy. You don't even know what you're getting in the middle of."

"Oh, I beg to differ. You're trying to guilt trip Granger here into believing that she's done something wrong. Which she has not, mind you. So what if she didn't want to kiss you? I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that drooling mess either. She is not abandoning her friends, as you put it, but she is simply distancing herself from you. She is no more of a traitor than you or Potter are, so I suggest you back off and leave her alone."

I stood there frozen, staring at Malfoy's angry profile. Why was he defending me? And why was Ron being such a prick? Ron took another step forward, trying to get around Malfoy and to me, but before I could even register what was going on, Ron was knocked down to the floor.

"I warned you, Weasley. You need to leave." Malfoy said softly, "I will not hold back next time."

Ron stood, rubbing his jaw where Malfoy had punched him, "Fuck you, Malfoy."

And with that, Ron turned around and walked back down the hallway.

"I don't understand why he's trying to start fights." I mused

"He's angry and jealous." Malfoy shrugged.

"What's he got to be jealous about?" I asked, confused.

"Well, look at what he's seen. To him, it must really look like you're choosing me over your friends considering the fact that you left with me the other day and the fact that you're defending me to the Prefects."

"When did you learn to be rational?"

Malfoy chuckled and just lifted one shoulder into a shrug, "And maybe he's realized that he's messed up and lost something that he'll never get back."

"What did he lose?"

"You."

I didn't answer, but looked at the ground, contemplating what all Malfoy had said.

"Granger? Hello? Are you even paying attention?" Malfoy waved his hand in front of my eyes

"What? Paying attention to what?" I asked as I snapped back to reality.

"Are you going to step through the portrait hole, or what?" Malfoy asked, impatiently.

"Oh, right." I stepped into the common room and walked over to sit on the sofa in front of the fire.

"Hey, Malfoy?" I asked softly as he walked toward his room

He stopped and turned to look at me.

"Why do you keep stopping Ron?"

"No woman deserves to be treated like he's treating you. And I just really don't like Weasley."

"Oh. Okay." I said, disappointed for some reason that the only reason he defended me was because he didn't like Ron.

"What?" Malfoy said, picking up on my tone.

I shook my head vigorously,_ I shouldn't be disappointed about that. This is Malfoy, for Merlin's sake. The Slytherin boy who's been my enemy since we started school. Why should I care if he's defending me just to annoy someone else?_

"Nothing. Goodnight." I said as I stood and entered my room, closing the door softly behind me and leaving Malfoy behind with a slightly confused look on his face.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Ginny? Gin, I need to talk to you!" I called as I stuck my head into the Gryffindor common room and spotted Ginny sitting at a table by the windows. She looked up, startled, and then walked over to me.

"Whats up, Mione?" she asked

"Grab your stuff. You're coming with me tonight. I'm having some internal conflicts and I am in desperate need of distraction and advice."

"Okay then." Ginny said slowly. She returned to her table, packed up her books, and then climbed out of the portrait hole, following me. Once we were safely inside the Head's common room, she turned to me, curiosity glinting in her deep blue eyes, "So, what's going on?"

I sighed and glanced at Malfoy's door, which was slightly ajar. I shook my head and motioned for Ginny to follow me. Once inside my room, I cast a quick _muffilito_ charm and threw myself down onto my bed. Ginny followed suit and sat in silence, waiting on me to say something.

"Ithkilihm." I mumbled with my head in my palms.

"What?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"I think I like him." I sighed

"Who?"

I looked pointedly in the direction of Malfoy's room and then slid my eyes back to Ginny. I watched as the realization lit her eyes.

"Well, Hermione, it is natural, after all, to like the people you live with.." Ginny trailed off.

"No, Gin, like.. _like _him." I said as I felt my cheeks start to burn

Ginny sighed and mumbled something under her breath that sounded like, "Knew it."

She looked up at me, a conflicted look dancing in her eyes.

"What?" I asked hesitantly.

"I knew this would happen. The Heads _always_ fall for each other, no matter how unlikely it seems. I'm not fond of him, Mione, but if he makes you happy, then I'll accept it and try to see what you do. Harry and Ron will be your biggest obstacle."

"Ginny! You're supposed to talk me out of this!" I cried in frustration as I slapped a hand to my forehead

Ginny just giggled as I glared at her, "Well, he's better than McLaggen, isn't he?"

I groaned and shuddered, "Don't even start with that, Gin. I never want to think about that again."

"Well, what's the problem, Hermione? So what if you like him? You need a man in his life and from what I can tell, he's filled out rather nicely." Ginny waggled her eyebrows suggestively, making my cheeks burn even more.

"It's not like it'll ever happen, " I muttered, "He doesn't even like me. He's just been jumping in between Ron and I because he wants to annoy Ron. He told me so himself."

"And you believed him?" Ginny asked incredulously

"Well, of course I believed him! It's exactly something Malfoy would do!" I said haughtily

"Mione, men never just jump in the middle of a fight to annoy someone. Especially men like Malfoy! I'll bet you 10 Galleons that he likes you, too, but just hasn't come to terms with it yet."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever."

"Seriously, Mione. You should tell him."

"I can't do that!" I squeaked, "What if he just laughs in my face?! I would die of embarrassment!"

It was Ginny's turn to roll her eyes, "Oh, come on! This is your last year at Hogwarts! Live a little, Hermione!"

I shook my head, "I can't just walk up to someone and be all like, "Oh, hey, I know we just started talking, but I want to jump your bones. What do you say?" Ginny, why are you laughing?!" I wailed

Ginny was laughing so hard I could see tears forming in her eyes, "I could totally see you doing that. All spazzed out and everything."

I growled and was about to retort when I heard a knock on my door. I whipped my head around and stared at it with wide eyes. I quickly undid the silencing charm and called through the door, "What?"

"We have rounds! Are you coming or not?" Malfoy's muffled voice called through the door.

"Oh, shoot." I muttered, "I forgot about rounds, Gin."

"I'll be okay here. I'll just wait for you to get back and finish my essay for Trelawney. Go ahead, have fun. Jump his bones." Ginny urged with a suggestive smile.

"Shush! He'll hear you!" I whispered urgently

Ginny just chuckled and pushed me toward the door. I pulled it open to see Malfoy lounging against the wall. He shot me a small smile as I stood beside him anxiously.

"What are you so nervous for, Granger?"

"No reason." I squeaked. I cleared my throat and walked across the common room, assuming he'd follow me.

We were a good ways through our patrol before anybody spoke.

"What are you thinking about?" Malfoy questioned

"Thinking? I'm not thinking. Not about anything at all." I answered a bit too quickly

"That's bloody likely." Malfoy muttered and then spoke a little louder, "You're always thinking, Granger. Spill it. I can't stand silence."

When I didn't answer, he sighed loudly, "What were you and Weaslette talking about?"

"Her name is Ginny!" I spat

"Okay, okay. Don't get your knickers in a twist. Ginny. What were you and Ginny talking about?" Malfoy held his hands up in surrender

"N-nothing of importance." I hung my head, hoping my hair would cover the blush on my cheeks.

"Oh, yeah?" I could hear the smirk in his voice and cringed, knowing that he wouldn't drop it and talk about something else.

"Malfoy, please, just drop it." I pleaded, "Please."

When he didn't respond, I glanced up. He was staring at me with a perplexed look on his face, "I was just teasing, Granger. You don't have to tell me what you guys were talking about."

I sighed in relief and picked up my pace.

"I'm curious now, though." Malfoy mused

I took a deep breath and walked even faster. I felt Malfoy grip my elbow gently, effectively causing me to slow down, "What's your rush?"

"I just want to get these rounds done and get back to my room." I pleaded

"What if I want to spend some time with you?" Malfoy asked lightly

My eyes widened and I stared at him, "W-what? Why would you want th-that?"

Malfoy shrugged, "Maybe I like this newfound friendship. Maybe I want to get to know you."

"Why? What are you playing at?" I said, flustered.

"Calm down, Granger. I'm just kidding." Malfoy said with a quirky smile, "Why are you so flustered today?"

"It's just.. it's just been a long day." I muttered

"Tell me about it." Malfoy tugged on my elbow, causing me to come to a complete stop.

I shook my head and felt my cheeks start flaming involuntarily. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw the portrait to the Head's room just a few feet away. I hurried toward it and started to say the password when Malfoy cut me off.

"What's that? That there beside the portrait?"

I reached up and pulled the piece of paper off the wall. My face paled as I read what it said.

_Hermione,_

_ I've gone back to my dorm for the night. Ron sent me an owl saying he was having a crisis. Probably something stupid to do with Lavender again. We'll reschedule another night. Don't forget to talk to Malfoy about what we discussed._

_ Gin_

_I am going to kill her. Absolutely kill her! _I fumed to myself. _She knew he would be standing over my shoulder!_

"So.. "nothing" huh?" Malfoy asked. I just knew that smirk was spreading across his face.

I stared at the letter, mortified. "Umm.. Let's go inside, yeah?"

I scurried through the portrait hole and tried to run into my room.

"Oh, no you don't!" Malfoy said as he grabbed me around my waist and hoisted me up over his shoulder. His shoulder was digging into my stomach as I wiggled around.

"Malfoy, put me down!" I shrieked, "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Oh, please, Granger. You don't weigh more than a feather. And you're going to tell me what Weasley meant." Malfoy said as he marched over to the sofa in front of the fireplace. He slowly sat me down right in the middle of the sofa and stood over me with a snarky little smirk on his face.

"So, what did you discuss?" he asked

I just blushed and ducked my head, determined not to answer. I sat that way maybe three minutes before I felt fingers under my chin.

"Come on, Granger. Talk to me. It's obviously something that involved me and I want to know."

"No you don't." I whispered.

"Yeah, I do. Tell me." Malfoy said softly, "Please tell me?"

I sighed and tried to still my nerves. It was going to have to come out sooner or later. I took a deep breath and whispered, "You."

"What about me?"

"I.. I.. I like.. like you." I stuttered nervously, my head ducked down once more and my cheeks flaming

"What?" Malfoy asked quietly

I didn't answer. I knew he'd heard me. He was just trying to comprehend what I'd said.

"Open your eyes, Granger." Malfoy murmured.

I shook my head vigorously and squeezed my eyes shut tighter. I felt fingers under my chin again, causing my head to rise up, but I refused to open my eyes. I couldn't stand to see the look of disgust that would be spread across his features.

"Come on. Open them." Malfoy urged.

I shook my head once more. Malfoy sighed and I prayed that he would leave me in peace. Suddenly, I felt a pressure on my cheek and my eyes snapped open in surprise. I sat frozen in place as Malfoy lips trailed from my cheek to my mouth. He kissed the corner of my mouth then pulled back to look into my eyes.

"There. Much better, now I can see your eyes." He uttered softly as he slowly moved closer again.

My eyes fluttered shut as his lips softly caressed mine. I sighed softly and leaned into the kiss. I felt his lips turn up at the corners in a gentle smile and I let myself get lost. Maybe Ginny was right. Maybe I did need to live a little. Malfoy pulled back and I was filled with a sense of sadness at the loss of contact.

"What was that for?" I asked breathlessly

Malfoy shrugged, "Maybe I like you, too."

"That's impossible. I'm.. I'm _me_. And you're _you_!"

"Really? That's fascinating, Granger." Malfoy said sarcastically

"You know what I mean!" I screeched

Malfoy chuckled, "Okay, okay. Goodnight, Granger."

I stared open mouthed at Malfoy's retreating figure. _What was he playing at?_ I sat there on the sofa for quite a while, staring dazedly as his closed door. Suddenly, rage began to boil in my veins.

_He can't do that and then just leave!_ I seethed. I stood and marched to his door.

"Malfoy! You open this bloody door right now!" I pounded on his door as I yelled

"Bloody hell, woman. What?" Malfoy asked groggily as he yanked open the door.

"You-you-you can't just do that and then leave!" I screeched.

A sleepy smirk spread over his lips, only making my anger rise, "Do what exactly, Granger? Hm?"

"You know what I'm talking about!"

"Oh, you mean this?" Malfoy swooped his head down and planted another kiss on my lips. Against my will, I felt my anger slipping away. Malfoy slipped his hand around the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair as he held my lips to his. His other hand slid around my waist, pulling me against his chest. I felt myself slipping into oblivion. The man could kiss and I was quickly realizing that I was powerless against the sensation of his lips covering mine. Just when I was about to give myself over to the oblivion that was screaming for me, Malfoy straightened once more, "That?"

I blinked slowly, my senses slowing coming back to me. I growled and struck out with my fist, hitting Malfoy square in the chest . I watched with satisfaction as he stumbled back a couple of steps.

"Yes, that, you bloody prat!" I yelled in fury, "What are you playing at? You think that just because I'm being civil to you, that means I want you? I'm not like the other girls in this bloody school! I don't want you just because you have a charming smile and a fit body! I am not a booty call, Draco Malfoy!"

"So, you like my body?" he smiled cheekily

"Aaargh!" I yelled as I turned on my heel and stomped to my door. I slammed it behind me and threw myself down on my bed, face first. I screamed into my pillow until I felt less like hitting everything in sight.

_Bloody Malfoy. Who does he think he is?_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"What do you keep looking at, Hermione?" Ron asked around a mouthful of food.

I snapped my eyes down to the plate of food in front of me and muttered, "Nothing."

I heard a snort and looked up to see Ginny trying not to laugh.

"What's so funny, Gin?" asked Harry

"Yeah, Ginny," I growled, "What's so funny, huh?"

Ron and Harry looked at me curiously due to my tone of voice. Ginny just smiled, "Nothing, boys. I was just thinking about something that happened last night."

"Well.." Ron prompted

"Well what?" Ginny asked innocently as she took a bite of her toast

"What happened last night?" Ron asked impatiently

"Why don't you ask Hermione?"

"Ginny!" I said loudly, "Not now!"

"Not now what?" Harry asked curiously

I groaned and dropped my head down to the table with a dull thud, "I'll talk to you guys later. I'm going to class."

I gathered my book bag up and quickly walked out of the hall. I hurried up to the fourth floor and leaned against a wall tiredly.

"What's the rush, Granger?" came a familiar drawl. I groaned at the disturbance.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Well, you rushed out of the hall looking flustered. I was curious."

"Well, don't be." I snapped

"Merlin, what's got your knickers in a twist?" Malfoy jeered. I was tired and frustrated already. I did not need the added stress of Malfoy this morning.

"You! You, Malfoy, are what's got my knickers in a twist!" I said harshly as I snapped my eyes open and glared up into his steely eyes. I watched in satisfaction as his eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back. I took this as a chance to advance on him and shoved my finger in his chest rather hard, "I don't know what you're playing at, but you can't just go from treating me like dirt to kissing me! You bullied me for seven bloody years, you prat! What makes you think that I wanted you to kiss me? Are you so pigheaded that you just assume that all girls want to jump your bones?! Well, let me tell you—"

I was cut off abruptly as his lips descended onto mine. My anger slipped away with my train of thought. I no longer remembered what I was so upset about. I leaned into the kiss and probably would have fallen to the floor if not for Malfoy's arm wrapped around my waist, holding me against his chest. I forgot that we were in the middle of a corridor. I forgot that students would soon be flooding the halls. I forgot that Malfoy used to be my enemy. I forgot that I was upset with him at all, really.

"Hermione?" I heard a voice call in disbelief.

I froze and my eyes snapped open. I pushed Malfoy away quickly and turned to see who had wandered down the corridor, "Ron.."

"I.. I can't.. What.. What is going on here?!" Ron stuttered angrily

"Ron, let me explain." I said weakly

"Explain? Explain what, Hermione?! Explain why you are kissing Draco sodding Malfoy in the middle of the corridor? Explain why you're throwing yourself at the git who's bullied you for the past seven years?!" Ron ranted

"Ron, it's not like that. Just let me ex—"

"No, Hermione! You're not the same person I used to know. The Hermione I know wouldn't be caught dead snogging in a hallway like some common slut." Ron said coldly

"That is quite enough, Weasley." Malfoy stepped in, "She is your Headgirl. Treat her as such."

"Bugger off, Malfoy." Ron said furiously, "I'm tired of you stepping in the middle of our business."

"You know what, Weasel? I don't give a bloody fuck. It is none of your business what Hermione does in her spare time. You're just jealous because she doesn't want you anymore. She found someone better." Malfoy sneered.

"Malfoy! Don't tell him that rubbish!" I yelled

"What's going on here?" asked another voice quietly

I sighed as I looked to see Harry and Ginny standing behind Ron.

"She was kissing Malfoy!" Ron said, gesturing wilding.

"What?" Harry asked incredulously and Ginny squealed and clapped her hands together.

"Oh, I knew it! I knew it, I knew it! I knew he would read that note and then pester you until it all came out!" Ginny exclaimed happily as she bounded over and threw her arms around my neck.

"Ginevra! What are you doing? She's betrayed us for the ferret!" Ron stated

"Oh, Ronald, shut up. Don't you think it's about time this world changed? Blood prejudices are a thing of the past now. Or, rather, they should be. What better couple to promote that?" Ginny sighed wistfully, "It's just so romantic. Sworn enemies to lovers."

"We are not lovers!" I said indignantly.

"We can change that." Malfoy mumbled

I turned around and wacked him on the arm, "Shut up. If I wanted your input I'd ask for it!"

"Hermione, what's going on?" Harry asked calmly

That's what I liked about Harry. He could usually keep a level head. I could see him struggling to keep calm and listen right then. Usually he didn't have an issue with staying calm, but anything involving Malfoy caused that to go right out the window. I could see that he was making an effort to listen because I was involved in this particular situation.

"I.. I don't know, Harry." I said quietly as I looked down at my scuffed shoes.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Ron asked rudely

"Honestly, Ronald. Shut up." Ginny said irritably

"Why should I? She turned into a common whore!" Ron yelled

"That is enough, Weasley!" Malfoy said angrily as he moved toward Ron

I put a hand on his arm, stopping him from moving any further, "Don't, Malfoy. It's not worth it." I said, tears evident in my voice.

"Come on, Granger! He just called you a whore! Do you honestly expect me to stand here and do nothing?" Malfoy asked

"Yes. I do."

"Why?"

"Because he's not worth it. You don't need to lower yourself to his level. If he truly believes that of me, then let him believe it." I said softly

Nobody said a word. A tense silence hung in the air as Malfoy glared at Ron, Ron glared at Malfoy, Harry warily watched the two of them, and Ginny looked sadly at me. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Have a nice life, Ronald." I said quietly as I turned and walked away from the group.

"Way to go, Weasel." I heard Malfoy sneer right before I heard heavy footfalls behind me.

We walked in silence the whole back to the common room. As I entered the common room, I threw myself down on the sofa and let my head fall into my hands. I felt the couch dip as Malfoy sat down beside me.

"What do you want?" I mumbled

"Are you okay, Granger?"

"Why do you care?"

"I.. I thought we'd become friends.." Malfoy said hesitantly

I laughed bitterly, "Friends? From what I've seen, I'm just a booty call to you. I'm just a common whore, remember?"

"No, you aren't. Weasley is just jealous, Granger. I don't even see what you saw in the prat in the first place, but that's not the point. _Booty call?_ Why would you even think that?"

"Why would I think that?!" I asked hysterically, "Why do you think?! Surely you know of your reputation! The Slytherin Prince, a sex god, Merlin's beard, Malfoy, I know you've heard what people say of you!"

".. And you don't think I've changed." Malfoy said quietly, "You don't think that I've renounced my old ways after the war, do you? You think I'm still the same old bully. That I'm just trying to get you in bed? Fine. Goodnight." He stood to walk to his room.

"No, Malfoy, wait." I said weakly. He stopped walking, but did not turn around, "I'm sorry. I know you've changed. Just.. I'm not used to being protected like that. I'm not used to Ron acting like that either. I don't know how to handle it." My voice cracked as the stress of losing a friend began to set in.

Malfoy slowly walked back to kneel in front of me. He took my hands in his gently and squeezed them lightly, "I know it's hard to accept, but I really have changed. I want to get to know you. You drive me up the wall and sometimes I just want to stun you so I can have five minutes of peace to study without hearing you mutter to yourself. But even though you annoy me sometimes, I'm drawn to you. I don't understand it and I'm not going to try. My mother always told me that if something is meant to happen, it will happen no matter what and not to try to fight what my heart tells me to do. My heart is telling me to stick close to you. I don't know what will happen, but I sure as hell want to find out. You are not just a booty call, Hermione. I promise you that."

I sniffed back my tears and let a watery smile spread across my face, "I don't know if you really mean all of that, but thanks anyway."

"I mean it. I'll prove it to you somehow. I swear it."

"Well, I guess we'll see then. You're still not getting in my knickers." I joked

Malfoy chuckled and stood. He held a hand out to me, "Come on. You should sleep. You look like hell."

"You sure know what to say to a distressed girl." I said sarcastically as I let him pull me to my feet.

"Bloody women." Malfoy muttered, "Never happy, are they?"

"Hey!" I said indignantly

"Sorry, sorry. Come on, Granger. You really should get some sleep. You know we're gonna be all over the school tomorrow."

I sighed in defeat, "What are we gonna say? It's not like we're dating.. We just.. you kissed me a couple of times and one of those times we happened to get caught."

"_I_ kissed _you_? Hold up, Granger. You kissed me back! If I recall correctly, I had to hold you up or you'd have hit the floor."

I snorted, "Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy. I could stand just fine on my own, thank you very much."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

Then his lips were on mine again and I felt my knees begin to wobble. Malfoy's arm slid around my waist, holding me up. _Bloody stupid prat. He was right._

"Nice to see you standing on your own, love." He mumbled softly against my lips

"Shut up." I whispered as I pressed my lips to his again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself more firmly against his chest. My fingers tangled themselves in his hair and tugged lightly. Malfoy moaned quietly and slid his hands down to rest on my hips.

"What are we doing, Granger?" Malfoy ground out as I trailed light kisses from his lips down his neck.

"I don't know. I just want one night of not being me. I just want to forget everything that happened tonight. I want to forget Ron. I want to forget school. I just want.. no.. no, I _need_ change. I need something different." I said quietly as I pulled back slightly to look up into Malfoy's eyes. The flames in the fireplace were making his grey eyes look like molten silver, flowing around his irises.

"I can show you change. I will show you change. But this, this right here, is not how it should be." He replied gently.

"Malfoy. Tomorrow morning I am going to walk out of that portrait hole and face the whole school. People will be talking and whispering behind my back. Don't make me regret falling for you, Malfoy."

"You.. You're falling for me?" Malfoy stuttered

"Already fell." I said as I turned and walked to my room, shutting the door softly as Malfoy stared after me.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

I let out a loud sigh as I slammed the portrait shut behind me and sagged against the wall. It had been a brutal day. No matter how much I thought I was prepared to face the whole school, I was not. I was not ready for the whispers or the feeling of eyes on the back of my head all day. I let my bag drop to the floor with a dull thud and raised my hands to rub at my eyes. _Bloody stupid people. Why can't they just mind their own damn business? Do they just have to be like a pack of wolves, waiting for the next juicy piece of gossip?_

"I take it your day was no better than mine?"

I lowered my hands and looked to the sofa. Malfoy was laying down, mostly hidden from sight, which would explain why I hadn't noticed him. His head was tilted back on the arm of the couch in order to see me.

"It's brutal out there." I said tiredly

"I know. Come here." Malfoy said as he swung his legs off the couch and sat up.

I walked over and dropped onto the sofa beside him, leaning back against the cushions and letting the stress of the day slowly fade away, " I don't know if I can do that again."

"You can." Malfoy nudged me, "I have to get up and go back out there and I'm a cowardly Slytherin. You're the brave Gryffindor Princess. I mean, come on. You've faced down Lord Voldemort, for Merlin's sake, what's a little gossip?"

"A little gossip is all of my so-called friends turning their backs on me." I muttered, "But we both know that I would never miss class over something so petty as students who have nothing better to do than talk about me. And if they annoy me too much? I can dock points."

"That's the spirit, Granger. Now, would you like to accompany me to the kitchen for dinner?" Malfoy asked as he stood and presented a hand to me in a mock bow.

"Why, Mr. Malfoy, I would be delighted." I smiled and let him lead me into our private kitchen. I imagined a large plate of steaming pot roast and mashed potatoes with steamed carrots. I grinned as it appeared on the table along with a large goblet of pumpkin juice. I glanced over at Malfoy to see that he had a plate containing a large steak with green beans and mashed potatoes.

"Mashed potatoes, huh?" he asked with a smirk

"That's the only way to have them." I smiled

Malfoy nodded his agreement and we both heaved a sigh of relief as we sat down in front of our plates. It was strange to look back over the year. I'd hated Malfoy with a fiery passion for the past six years and now, here we were, eating dinner in a companionable silence. I'm not sure when it really happened, but somehow, Malfoy and I had become friends. We weren't exactly the closest of friends, but we were slowly becoming closer to one another. We still fought and argued. I still thought he was a pigheaded git. He thought I was a prissy know-it-all. So maybe my world hadn't turned completely upside down. Except for when he kissed me. I frowned as I remembered that. To be honest, I was downright confused. Why did he keep kissing me? What was he trying to prove? He didn't like me, I knew that. He was a Malfoy, afterall, and Malfoy's simply did not like muggleborns. Maybe he had a bet going on with Zabini? I felt my frown deepen at that thought. I would not be part of a bet. No, sir, I would not.

"Granger."

I jumped as I was shaken from my thoughts, "What?"

"What are you thinking about so hard over there?"

"What's it to you?" I asked with a huff. I'd gone and made myself irritable with my thoughts

Malfoy raised his eyes in surprise at my tone, "You looked like you were ready to rip someone apart with your bare hands."

"I was contemplating it." I answered

"Yeah? Who's got your knickers in a wad?"

"You, to be honest." I snapped

"Me? What did I do?" Malfoy asked, affronted

"Listen. I want an honest answer. Am I part of a bet or something?" I asked as I started at Malfoy intently

"A bet? What the hell are you on about, Granger?" Malfoy asked, sounding surprised.

"Well, why else would you kiss me? Did you make a bet with Zabini or something?"

Malfoy just stared at me in silence for a long minute, "Do you really think I'd do that? That I'd make a bet like that?"

I blushed as I realized how harsh my accusation had sounded, "Malfoy, I didn't mean—"

"No, stop, Granger. Stop. It's fine. I'm going to bed." And with that, Malfoy pushed away from the table. With one last hurt glance at me, he walked out the door and I heard his bedroom door shut softly.

I groaned as I let my head fall onto the table. Great. Now I've gone and upset the one person who was in this mess with me. With a heavy sigh, I heaved myself out of my chair and stalked out of the kitchen, headed to Malfoy's door. I knocked lightly and called his name. There was no response. With a sad glance at the door, I turned around and began to walk to my door. Just as I touched my doorknob, I heard Malfoy's voice.

"Granger."

I stopped and turned around. He was standing in his doorway, leaning against the frame. He asked, "Did you need something."

I shook my head, "No. I just wanted to say sorry. I should know that you've changed after living with you for this long. I'm sorry. I just jumped to conclusions and that wasn't very fair to you."

Malfoy didn't say anything in response. He just nodded at me and backed into his bedroom again. The door shut with a soft click. I sighed and entered my room.

I woke the next day with a pounding headache and a rolling stomach. I stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom. I was retching over the toilet when Malfoy made his appearance.

"Merlin, Granger, that's disgusting."

I lifted my head long enough to send him a look that should have put him in his grave, "Shove off, Malfoy. I am not in the mood for you right now."

He mumbled something unintelligible and slowly walked over to crouch beside me. He pulled my hair back and held it out of my face, "Well, out with it. You'll feel better if you stop fighting it."

Sure enough, five minutes later there was nothing left to come up and my stomach settled. I slumped against the wall, exhausted from the upheaval.

"Maybe you should stay in today, hm? You don't want to be disrupting classes by running out in the middle, eh?" Malfoy suggested quietly

"I can't miss class, Malfoy. We have NEWTS to prepare for." I said weakly as I squeezed my eyes shut tight, trying to keep the light from cutting my eyes open.

"NEWTS aren't for a few months and they won't do you any good if you're dead."

"I hardly think I'll die from this. It's just a stomach bug or the flu or something stupid like that."

"You're not going to class. You look like hell and I don't imagine you feel much better."

"Thanks for that, Malfoy. You sure know how to charm a girl."

"Just being honest, is all. Come on. Up and back to bed with you. I'll get all of your homework for you. You just sleep and get better. I don't think I can deal with the extra attitude you're displaying. You're difficult and annoying enough when you're healthy." Malfoy said as he steered me back into my room and pulled the covers over me as I crawled into bed, "Dobby!"

I jumped when I heard the loud crack that signaled the arrival of Dobby.

"What does mister need? Oh! Miss Granger! What is wrong? You look terrible! Dobby will get the nurse!"

"That won't be necessary, Dobby," Malfoy cut in, "If you could, please just watch her today. Bring her soup, tea, or whatever she might desire. She's a bit under the weather today, as you can see, but she'll be alright in a day or two if you'll help her out, Dobby."

I stared at Malfoy suspiciously. Why was he being so nice to Dobby? He was a bloody Malfoy, for Merlin's sake. They weren't nice to magical creatures.

"Yes, sir! Dobby would be delighted, sir! Dobby will be right back with Miss's soup!" and with that, Dobby left with a loud crack.

"What was that about, Malfoy?" I asked

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why were you so nice to him? Why did you ask him to watch me today?"

Malfoy sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed, "Look, Granger. I'm making an effort here, okay? I know I don't exactly have a great track record with that particular elf, but I'm trying to make up for it by being polite but still making him feel useful. And as for why I asked him to watch you? I have no doubt that you'll try to sneak out of here after I leave and try to attend your classes. You need to stay in bed and rest. Stressing yourself out will only make you sick longer. So, stay or Dobby will come to me and I will be forced to find you and cart you back here. I will resort to physical means if I have to so do not test me. We need to plan the Christmas Ball tonight or tomorrow and I need you feeling better when we do that."

I nodded and sighed loudly, "Fine. But you had better get all of my homework for me. "

By the time Dobby brought me lunch, I had relocated to the common room. Just because I was confined to my dormitory, I wasn't going to start slacking on my homework. I had potions and transfiguration essays due next week.

"Thank you, Dobby." I said gratefully as the elf sat down a bowl of steaming soup and a cup of hot tea.

"Miss is quite welcome." Dobby squeaked excitedly, "Would Miss like anything else?"

"No, thank you." I smiled

Dobby smiled and bowed in my direction before he straightened. Just as he was about to disappear, the portrait slammed open and then shut and Malfoy staggered in.

"Malfoy? What's wrong?" I asked worriedly as I saw the state he was in. He was paler than usual, clammy looking, his hair was sticking to his forehead, and his eyes looked sickly and glassy.

"I think you're contagious, Granger." Malfoy said weakly, "Flitwick just kicked me out of Charms for spewing chunks all over one of his desks."

"Dobby? Perhaps some soup for Malfoy?"

"Oh, yes, Miss! Dobby will be right back with soup for Master!" Dobby said as he left with a loud crack

"Come here, Malfoy. Join my sickness fort." I said as I motioned to the nest of pillows and blankets spread around me."

Malfoy shed his outer robes and kicked off his shoes as he made his way over to me. He flopped down beside me with a groan, "What is this sickness? I hurt everywhere."

I smiled softly and chuckled weakly, "It's called the flu, Malfoy. Welcome to your personal hell for the next day or two."

Malfoy didn't respond except for a loud groan as he flung his head back against the sofa. With a loud crack, Dobby appeared with another bowl of steaming soup and a mug of hot tea.

"Here you go, Master. Miss and Master should eat."

"Thank you, Dobby." I said politely as he disappeared again

I nudged Malfoy, "Come on. Sit up and eat the soup. You'll feel better, I promise."

"It smells delicious." Malfoy mumbled as he dug in.

I shook my head and began to eat my soup, albeit not quite as viciously as Malfoy was.

_Men are such babies._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **** Hey, guys! I'm so sorry about the wait on these chapters! School got crazy during midterms. (: I'm writing as fast as I can, but my spring break is almost over and then I'll have to focus on school before this story! ): Just bear with me and thank you SO SO SO MUCH for reading and reviewing! If I get ahead of myself or the story becomes confusing, please let me know! I try to go back and read over what I've written before I start a new chapter, but I don't always remember to do that. Thank you guys so much for reading! You're all awesome. **

Chapter Eight

"Oh, give it a rest, Malfoy!" I snapped, "It's a Christmas Ball, for Merlin's sake! You can't have bloody strippers! Especially at a school function!"

"Come on, Granger! Everybody loves strippers!" Malfoy pouted

"I do not and I'm sure McGonagall would agree with me." I stated, huffily

Malfoy heaved a large sigh and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "Well, then, what is your suggestion?"

I cleared my voice and sat up a little straighter, ignoring Malfoy's eye roll. "I was thinking we could enchant the floor to look like ice and have enchanted snow falling, melting before it reaches the ground. I want it to look like a snowy night lit by a bright full moon. Wouldn't it be beautiful, Malfoy?"

"You are such a girl." He muttered

I just smiled cheekily at him, "Well? Can we do that? You can throw in a few modifications and extras if you'd like."

"Fine. We'll go with that for a basic plan. What about attire? Formal, masquerade, casual?"

"I was thinking formal. We can do masquerade for the final ball. Girls can get dresses from Hogsmeade and guys can wear dress pants and a nice shirt or dress robes."

Malfoy nodded, "You know we're expected to go together, right? McGonagall stopped me in the corridor today and asked how we were coming along with the plans. She said we had to have the first dance together and for all intents and purposes, be each other's date. Something about setting an example for the lower years."

"Oh." I said quietly, "I didn't know that. But no matter, that'll be fine. It's not like we have to spend the evening attached at the hip, right?"

"Right." Malfoy muttered

"What's wrong?" I asked hesitantly

"Nothing, Granger. It's just been a long day." Malfoy said with a sneer

I was slightly taken aback by his tone and, being a Gryffindor, I snapped back, "I know. I had to endure it, too. No need to take a snappy attitude with me."

"Whatever. At least you still have friends who stand by you! Mine have disappeared and I'm completely alone."

"You think my friends are standing by me? They're absolutely disgusted with me. They think I've gone and betrayed them by fraternizing with the enemy! This is entirely your fault, Malfoy! Why did you have to go and kiss me in public? Just to prove a moot point!" I yelled

"You weren't complaining when I did it, Granger! If I recall, I had to hold you up so you didn't fall to the ground!" he said angrily

"You are such an infuriating git!" I screamed as I stood up quickly.

"And you're an infuriating bushy haired know-it-all!" he responded as he stood up as well.

We stood glaring at each other for a few moments before I turned and stomped to my room. I heard Malfoy doing the same. I slammed my door and walked quickly toward the bathroom door. I yanked it open and saw that Malfoy had just done the same thing.

"Get out!" I said

"No! You get out!" he argued

"I was here first!"

"We were here at the same time! And as I am a Malfoy, I demand that you leave!"

"Oh, that's rich. As I am better at hexing, I demand that you leave before I make you!"

"Do it, Granger. I dare you."

I growled as I pulled out my wand and cast a bat boogey hex in Malfoy's direction. I laughed in satisfaction as he retreated into his room and slammed the door shut just in time. I'd have to thank Ginny for that later. With a satisfied smirk, I prepared to take a very long, hot bath.

"Harry, for the last time, drop it. Malfoy and I are not dating or snogging in secret. He was simply being an infuriating prick and you guys just happened to wander by at the wrong time." I explained for what felt like the hundredth time.

"But, Mione, he had his arm around you and everything! That didn't look like he was infuriating you. You looked like you were enjoying it!" Harry protested

I slammed the book I was trying to read shut and pushed myself away from the table, "I said to drop it, Harry!"

"Hermione!"

I was already walking away. I was done trying to explain myself. Malfoy was a git. End of story. Everywhere I went, people were whispering and pointing in my direction. The rumors were getting a bit out of hand. I felt my temper rising as I noticed a group of third year Ravenclaws glancing in my direction as they whispered behind their hands.

"Do you girls have something to say?" I asked scathingly as I halted in front of them.

"As a matter of fact, we do." One girl answered as she stepped forward, holding her head high, "What made you decide to turn your back on your friends? Why would you go and snog your best friends' sworn enemy like a common whore?"

I raised my eyebrows at her audacity, "Excuse me, but did you just call the Headgirl a whore?"

The girl's smirk faltered and she began to fidget. With false bravado she answered, "Well, that's what it seems like."

"Thirty points from Ravenclaw for lack of respect and spreading rumors." I said coldly

The girl gasped, "You can't do that!"

"Another ten for arguing with an authority figure, McKinley!" a deep voice said from behind me

The girl wisely closed her mouth and began to walk away angrily, the rest of the girls following behind her. I turned to see Malfoy scowling after them.

"Bloody third years." He muttered.

I turned on my heal and stalked away. I had no desire to interact with the ferret today. I was still fuming from last night.

"Oi! Granger! Come back here!" Malfoy called. I could hear his footsteps as he followed behind me.

"No." I said simply as I glanced over my shoulder.

"Hey! Granger! Can I have a word?"

I looked up from my essay in surprise. I glanced around the library, trying to see if there were any Slytherin's hiding amongst the books.

"What do you want, Zabini?" I asked quietly

"Just a short word. No jokes or tricks, I swear." He held his hands out in surrender.

I nodded and closed my book gently, "Well, what is it?"

"Why is Malfoy sulking around the corridors?" he asked bluntly

"Why are you asking me? I am not his babysitter." I snapped

"He likes you, you know." Zabini said softly after a few moments.

"He has a rotten way of showing it." I answered grumpily

"You like him, too."

"Why are you here, Zabini?" I answered as I pinched the bridge of my nose

He shrugged one shoulder, "He's my best mate. I watch out for him just as he watches out for me."

I could only stare. _Malfoy has a friend? A close friend?_

"And what do you suggest I do? It's not my fault if he's sulking around the school."

"Oh, but I think it is, Granger. You see, the only other time I've ever seen him sulk like this is when he's had an encounter with you. Like in third year when you broke his nose? He sulked around like a baby for the next two weeks."

"He bloody deserved it, the git." I mumbled with a small, prideful smile

Zabini chuckled lowly, "He probably did. But that's not my point. Can you be the bigger person? Draco won't and we both know it. You're the only person who's not shunning him, aside from myself. Talk to him. If you care for him at all, talk to him."

I pressed my lips together as Zabini walked away. I guess I've always been the bigger person in every situation, why change that now? I sighed and stacked my books neatly before beginning the trek to my common room.

"Hey, Malfoy?" I slowly approached the sofa where he sat, his school books and parchment littered all around him.

He grunted his acknowledgement. I stood in front of the sofa, unsure where to begin. After a couple minutes of my shuffling, Malfoy looked up irritably, "What, Granger?"

"Um..I- I just.."

"Spit it out, Princess. I'm trying to do homework here and I find it hard to concentrate when you're making all that racket with your fidgeting."

"I'm.. sorry." I muttered

"What was that?" Malfoy asked. I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I narrowed my eyes and felt my muscles tense up. I was no good at apologizing and he was not helping the situation.

"I said I was sorry, Malfoy! Wipe that bloody smirk off your face before you make me regret that apology!" I stomped my foot angrily

The smirk stayed in place, but it didn't reach his eyes. He slowly moved his text books to the side, creating a space for me to sit. When I didn't move he reached out and wrapped his long, slender fingers around my wrist, "Sit down, Granger. I won't bite you."

I sat down and yanked my wrist from his grasp. I was finding it hard to focus on anything other than his skin on mine when he touched me, "Why am I sitting here? Did you have something to say?"

"Touchy, touchy." He mumbled

When I huffed and went to stand up again, he leaned over and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me back down. He didn't remove his arm when I tried to wiggle out of his grip, but only pulled me up against his side and held me there. I blushed as I tried to focus on anything other than the fact that I was pressed up against him.

"What do you want?" I asked stiffly

"I'm sorry, too." He answered quietly

I looked up at him in surprise. I'm never going to get used to the Malfoy who apologizes. I was instantly captured by the sight before me. The fire danced across his aristocratic features, softening them. His eyes slowly slid over to rest on my face. They seemed to dance and flow like molten lava as I stared into the silvery depths. I slowly leaned up and pressed my lips to his cheek. I watched his eyes widen in surprise as I pulled back just enough to see his face again.

"What was that for?" he whispered

"I don't know."

He didn't reply, but leaned in and pressed his lips gently against mine. I didn't fight it this time. I wanted this. I pressed myself closer to him, deepening the kiss. Malfoy tangled his hands into my hair and tilted my head back slightly. His lips trailed from my mouth, down my neck, and to my collar bone. After nipping it gently, he pulled back. I blinked my eyes open to be met with the sight of Malfoy's swollen lips and flushed cheeks. His eyes swam with emotions and his hair was tousled. He'd never looked more handsome to me.

"Hermione.." he whispered gently

"What?" I answered, just as quietly

"I'm tired of fighting this. I know you still have doubts about the fact that I've changed. I know your friends won't accept us. Hell, I don't even know what to do about my family's acceptation of this. I'm tired of caring about other people. I want you.. Just you."

I closed my eyes against the onslaught of emotions that hit me right then, "Draco, I don't know. I want this, I do-"

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem?" I asked incredulously, "The problem is that you're an ex-deatheater! The problem is that you've bullied my friends and myself for all the time we've been at school! The problem is that I'm confused and I don't understand why I had to fall for you of all people! I'm scared, Draco, and I don't know how to handle it."

"Just trust me! I'll prove to you that I'm worth it. When everything seems to be falling down around you, when you can't stand up against the world anymore, when you've reached your wits end.. I'll be here. I'll be right here to hold you up and give you something to keep going for. Please, Hermione.. Just give us a chance." He grabbed my hands and pulled then up to his mouth, kissing my knuckles

I felt the butterflies building in my stomach, nervousness and lust mixed together. I took a deep breath, "Alright. There's no turning back on this, you know. We're going to face hell out there."

"Just keep your chin up, doll. I'll be there to hold you up."

I smiled and leaned forward once more, pressing my lips to his cheek, "You'd better be worth it, Malfoy."

"Oh, I will be."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Sod off, Potter!"

"No! I'm here to see Hermione and I'm not leaving until I do!"

"Get out of my common room!"

"No!"

I was awakened by loud, angry voices. I groaned as I sat up in bed and rubbed my sleepy eyes. _This had better be worth it._ I walked out to the common room, angry at being woken before I was ready to crawl out of bed on a Saturday morning.

"Harry James Potter. What the bloody hell do you want at eight in the morning on a Saturday?" I growled as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Bloody hell, woman. I forgot how grouchy you are in the mornings." He muttered at he took in my sleepy state.

"What do you want?" I asked again with a glare, "I do not take kindly to being woken by yelling matches this early. It looks as if Draco just rolled out of bed, too, actually. To what do we owe the visit?"

"Draco?" Harry questioned incredulously

"Yes, Harry. His name is Draco." I explained impatiently

"Right. Well, I've been hearing some pretty nasty rumors and I came to find out the truth since we hardly see you anymore. Ron's not taking that so well, actually. But that's a whole other matter. So, I see no need to beat around the bush, so I'll just come out with it, I guess. Are you two shagging?" Harry said bluntly

I froze, mid-yawn, and then began to sputter. When I managed to breathe normally again, I looked at Harry with a blank look on my face, "Where in Merlin's name did you get that from?"

"Well, you know how it is in the common room.." Harry trailed off awkwardly

"So, Lavender is spreading rumors again?" I allowed an icy quality into my voice

Harry reached up to run a hand through his messy hair with a guilty look crossing his features.

"Harry, you know how she is! You know that everything out of her mouth is a lie! What Ron sees in her, I'll never understand."

"I know, 'Mione, but you've been so distant this year. We don't know what to think anymore. Do we even know you still?" Harry said quietly

"Of course you do. I'm still the same old me. Know-it-all and bookworm. I've just had extra duties piled on this year with being Headgirl, Harry. I'm sorry I don't see you guys much anymore. I'll set aside a weekend just for us. Me, you, and Ron can all go to Hagrid's or maybe just hang out in the common room. Okay?"

Harry just nodded and apologized for waking me up before he turned and walked out of the common room. I placed my hands over my eyes and groaned quietly. I only remembered that I wasn't alone in the room when a faint chuckle reached my ears.

"You've been awfully quiet, Draco. Care to explain?" I asked frostily

"You didn't tell him no."

"What?" I asked, bewildered

"You didn't tell him no. About us shagging."

"Well, we aren't!"

"But he didn't know that. And I bet he's not as daft as he looks. He probably caught the fact that you didn't deny it." Draco said with a cheeky grin.

"Why didn't you speak up? Why didn't you deny it?"

Draco looked appalled, "And ruin my reputation? It is unheard of for Draco Malfoy to not be shagging someone."

"You're not helping your chances of shagging me any time soon." I said dryly

Draco blanched as he realized the truth in my statement, "Oh, come now, love. You wouldn't hold out on me forever would you?"

"We'll see." I said as I turned to walk back into my room, making sure the sway of my hips was much more noticeable than usual. I smiled as I heard a soft groan and a string of curses being muttered.

"You, there! If I see you near that table again, I will confiscate your wand for the rest of the night, do you hear me?" I yelled at one of the Slytherin prefects.

"Oi! Collins, do not go near the Womping Willow! We have specifically set up the perimeter so that students don't go near it! Get away and if I catch anyone heading in that direction again, I will cancel this ball, so help me Merlin!" I heard Draco yell from the other side of the courtyard.

The Halloween Ball was tonight and the Prefects were determined to deter from the plans we'd all made and agreed upon. So far I've had to stop them from spiking the punch with firewhiskey, enchanting the pumpkins to chase anyone who got within two feet of them, and sabotaging many other decorations. I'd been listening to Draco reprimanding them as well. I sighed as I looked around me. It was a decently warm day for October and the sun shining on the grounds and castle was breathtaking. We'd spent the majority of the afternoon setting up a perimeter for the dance. We had conjured some haybales to set up as a makeshift fence that could double as places to sit for the students who needed to take a breather. There were large pumpkins spaced out among the haybales and miniature pumpkins had been hollowed out and enchanted to float through the air with candles lit inside of them. There was a large tent, the front flaps tied back to show a long table filled with all kinds of cookies, cakes, candies, and punches. There were small tables scattered throughout the area, in the tent and out in the open, for students to sit at. The ghosts had been asked to attend the dance, mingle in the crowds for added effect. We were nearly finished after a good six hours of decorating. I glanced over at Draco to find him already looking at me with a small smile gracing his features.

"Are we done?" he called to me

I nodded and called all of the Prefects over to me. Draco joined me and we dismissed them to go prepare for the ball. I don't think I've seen them do as they're told until now. I shook my head and glanced around once more. I cast a quick charm to assure that no one could enter the dance area until I took down the ward. It just wouldn't do to have someone come and tamper with all of our hard work. Draco and I made our way back up to our dormitory to get ready. We were, after all, the hosts of this Halloween Ball. We had to make a huge impression on the students and Draco hadn't even written his welcome speech!

"Hermione! Are you done yet?! You've been in there for ages and we have to go! We have to go now or we'll be late!" Draco pounded on my bedroom door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I called back as I put the finishing swipe of lip gloss on my lips. I took one last look at myself in my vanity mirror, smiled, and walked to my bedroom door. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, and turned the knob. I sucked in my breath as I saw Draco standing three feet in front of me. I took a good long, appreciative look at him. He wore a black suit with a silky silver shirt and an emerald green tie. The splash of green against the gray really brought out the silver in his eyes. His hair was swept gracefully across his forehead and that famous smirk was already in place. As my eyes wandered back up to his face, I noticed his eyes trailing over me. I blushed as he inspected me.

"Bloody hell, woman." He muttered appreciatively

"Do I look okay?" I asked nervously.

"You look delectable, love. I promise you that."

I smiled and looked down at my dress. I'd chosen a silver ball gown with green accents. There were glittery emerald green swirled patterns on the skirt and the bodice was bordered along the bust with green sequins. My hair was falling in ringlet curls, green ribbons had been enchanted to wind in and out of my curls. I wore simple silver flats and no jewelry. I nodded in satisfaction.

"Are we ready to go?" I asked

"Masks. Do you have yours?" Draco questioned as he pulled his mask from inside his suit jacket. It was simple; black with green glitter along the edges.

"Yes, I do, of course." I smiled lightly as I pulled my mask out from behind my back. It was emerald green with silver sequins bordering the edges and around the eyes. We slipped out masks on, grinned at each other, and headed down to the entrance hall. All of the other students were already gathered in the courtyard, just waiting for the Heads to arrive.

"Did you write your speech?" I asked hesitantly

"No." Draco responded carelessly

"Draco! Why not? What are you going to do? I mean, you can't give a speech if you haven't prepared for it! What are you going to sa—"

His lips covering mine cut off my tirade. He pulled back slowly, leaving me breathless.

"Calm down, sweets. I'm Draco Malfoy. Do you really think I need to be prepared beforehand to succeed?" he asked quietly with a small chuckle, "I've got this."

And with that, he strolled through the front doors and stood on the steps before the entire school. I came to stand beside him and looked up at him expectantly.

"Hello, everyone!" He called, "It's Halloween again, as you've all noticed. I don't have much to say. Dance. Laugh. Eat. Drink. Do not leave the perimeters and watch out for enchanted pumpkins in case we missed any. Have fun everyone! Enjoy the holiday and make some memories that you'll never forget!"

With that, he bowed and turned to me, "A dance, m'lady?"

I smiled softly and shook my head with a quiet laugh, "Draco Malfoy, whatever are we to do with you?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"You're beautiful, you know that, right?"

I smiled as I heard the husky voice whisper in my ear. Arms encircled my waist from behind and I sighed in contentment as I leaned back against a solid, muscular chest. I was too tired and worn out to care about any of the stragglers that might see us. It was going to come out soon anyway. By morning it'd be all over the school in various forms. I was betting by tomorrow night it would be a known fact that Draco and I were ripping each other's clothing off right there in the courtyard. I smiled and turned to face him.

"You're pretty dashing yourself." I said quietly as I slipped my arms around his neck, "You know what you just did, don't you?"

"If you mean to ask if I know that I just threw us to the wolves, yes." Draco stated simply as he began to sway to music that was only heard inside his head.

"It'll be hell tomorrow. Luckily, it's the weekend so maybe it won't be so bad on Monday." I rested my forehead against his collar bone as we swayed together. He pulled me closer and rested his cheek on the top of my head.

"I know, love. We'll be okay. I told you I'd be there to catch you if you fall. Just keep your chin up and ignore them. Hell, start docking points for every look they throw at you. Bloody nosy bastards, they are."

I laughed quietly at his careless attitude, but then took on a more serious demeanor, "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Keep your head up. I've heard some of the rumors throughout the past years. Most of them aren't the slightest bit pretty. How do you keep yourself together?" I asked as I looked up to study his face.

He didn't answer immediately. His eyebrows slanted together and his lips turned down at the corners. His eyes faded out of focus. He seemed to be remembering some unpleasant experiences.

"I just realized that I was above them."

I snorted at the typical Malfoy response.

"No, really," Draco said with a small smile," I don't mean that in an arrogant way. I was above that type of behavior. I am above that type of behavior. If people have nothing better to do than waste their time spreading nasty stories, why should I care?"

"Oh. That's a great philosophy, actually." I said softly as I smiled, "I may have to try it out for myself."

"Let me know how it goes. If it doesn't work, tell me why and I'll go find the ruddy bastard who proved my philosophy wrong."

I shook my head and pulled myself closer against his chest, "You're great, you know. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad you got chosen as Headboy. We have a nasty past, but it seems that our future is looking up."

I felt Draco tense up and I raised my head once more to see a blank look schooled onto his face, "What is it?" I asked

"…Our.. future." He muttered after a moment.

"Oh, Draco, I'm not trying to rush anything, I swear! I just meant that our newfound friendship seems to be working out. I'm not talking about kids or marriage or any of that. Not yet at least – "

"Yet?!" he squeaked as his face blanched

"Or – or – not at all! No kids. No marriage. Just a slow, steady friendship! Yeah. Yeah, nice and slow – "

I was cut off by an angry voice from behind me.

"What the bloody hell is this?!"

"Oh, shoot. They just had to see us tonight, did they?" I mumbled as I took a deep breath and turned around, "Hey, guys."

"Hey, guys?! That's all you have to say for yourself?!"

"Hey, Potter, why don't you just shove it up –" I cut Draco off with a look that spoke of some major implications if he kept talking.

"Harry, just listen to me –"

"No. No, I will not just listen to you. Not right now, Hermione. I asked you if there was something going on between you two! You lied to me!"

"Harry James Potter, you listen to me. I did not lie to you! I said that we weren't shagging and we're not!" I shouted

"This isn't much better, Hermione!" Ron cut in angrily

"Oh, Ronald, don't even start. I saw you the other night with Lavender in the library. You were as close to her as you could get without impregnating her." I snapped as Ron turned red.

I stared coldly at the boys before me. They stared back, but it was more out of stubbornness than anger now.

"Now. You two have known me since we were eleven years old. You know almost everything there is to know about me. Have I ever, ever, made a rash decision? Or a bad one for that matter? Have I ever done something that I have not thoroughly thought out? Well?" I asked quietly

"No." they mumbled together

"Correct. So, based upon those facts, do you really think that you, you two, of all people, have the right to judge me and the choices I make?"

"No."

"Correct, again."

There was silence as the boys physically fought to hold themselves together.

"Why him? Hermione, why did it have to be him?" Ron whined as he threw a glare at Draco

"Because I'm not you, Weasel." Draco snapped

"Draco, not now, please. I know that this isn't going to be easy. For any of us. I'm not asking you to like each other. I'm not asking you to be friends. All I want is for you to be civil to one another." I pleaded as I looked between all three boys. Grudgingly, they all nodded their agreement, "Okay. Thank you. Harry, Ron.. I love you both so much. We've been friends for years and I haven't agreed with most choices that you two have made, but I let you make them. Please, just give him a chance. I want this.. I want him."

Harry and Ron cringed, but nodded.

"Draco, I know you don't like them either, but they are my best friends. If you want me, you get them, too." He grimaced, but nodded as well, "Great! Now, lets get inside, yeah? It's late."

I led the boys back into the castle. Harry and Ron gathered me into a group hug and said their goodnights. I watched warily as they turned to look at Draco. Harry made the first move and offered Draco his hand. Draco cautiously took it and stepped back as soon as the handshake was over. Ron didn't offer his hand, but he didn't make any snide remarks either. I sighed. It would take time, but I knew they could do it.

Draco slipped his hand into mine as we made our way to the Heads' dormitory, "So.. That didn't go so bad. I didn't get punched."

I laughed, "No, you didn't get punched, but it could have gone better."

"How? How could that have gone more smoothly?" Draco asked incredulously

"Well, they could have accepted you with open arms.." I trailed off

"Right. And you can live for three days without a book."

I smiled up at him and after a few moments, he glanced down at me, "What? Why are you smiling at me? It's creepy."

"I am not creepy!" I stated indignantly

"No, you, yourself, are not creepy. The fact that you're staring at me with a silly smile on your face is creepy, though."

"Oh, hush. I'm just.. I'm just glad that we're giving this a chance. I never thought that Draco Malfoy would have a good side. I'm.. I'm happy that I'm getting the chance to see it." I blushed as I looked down at my feet moving along the hall.

"Hey. Hey, look at me." Draco said softly as he pulled me to a stop. A hand on my cheek made me raise my head. I took a deep breath and looked into his silver eyes. They seemed to be swirling and I was immediately entranced, "I'm not good with emotions. I will most likely hurt you unintentionally. I will say mean things because I get scared easily when it comes to relationships. My father will never accept you. My mother will love you with all the love a mother has for her children. I'm not trying to scare you off, I swear. I'm just telling you that this will not be easy. We will be ridiculed. We will be hated. We will be accepted eventually. I just need you to know that I'm prepared for that. I want this, Hermione. Merlin, I don't understand it, but I want you. I'm drawn to you. I tried to fight it at first, but there's just something about you that won't let me go. You're stuck with me and I will be right here for as long as you'll have me."

"Oh, Draco, you silly boy. Of course I'll have you. I'm not scared of your family or friends. I'm not scared of this school. I've always been a sort of outcast and I know how to keep going. I want you. I want you for a long time. I don't know what it is about you that's got me hooked, but you're stuck with me too. You silly, silly boy." I said with a giddy smile, "I've never been in a serious relationship, but I want to be with you. These feelings I have are so strong and I don't know how to handle them, but I'm not going to run from them. I faced down Voldemort, for Merlin's sake. I can deal with a few crazy, rude students."

He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my cheek, "Come on. Let's go to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow."

I smiled and wrapped my arm around his. We walked back to the common room in a comfortable silence. I didn't want to go to my own room. I didn't want to let him go; not when we'd just made up our minds, "Hey, Draco? Can we.. can we sleep in here? I don't.. I don't want to sleep anywhere but beside you."

"Sure. Go on up and get ready for bed. I'll get us set up down here." He smiled at my blush and I heard a low chuckle as I darted into my room.

-Draco—

I sank down on the sofa as Hermione's bedroom door shut with a soft click. I could hear her rushing around, trying to find something to sleep in. I let a small smile grace my features. She really was adorable. Looking back, I wondered how we'd even gotten to this point. We used to be so.. so hurtful and mean to each other. I'd said some really nasty things to her; I'd even done some really mean things to her. Given, she did break my nose in third year. Merlin, that hurt. I winced as I remembered the pain that she had inflicted. I'd deserved it, though. I shook my head and stood up to arrange the common room. I transfigured the sofa into a large bed and then wandered into the kitchen. I smiled as a large plate of cookies and two glasses of milk appeared on the table. I grabbed them and walked back out to the common room. Hermione was already sitting on the bed, staring into the fire, her chin resting on her knees that had been drawn up to her chest. I took a moment to take her in. She'd changed into a tight white t-shirt and loose black and silver flannel pants. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun and the firelight reflecting in her eyes made her look surreal. I slowly walked across the room, careful not to spill the milk. I slowly sank down beside her, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Cookies?" I offered

She took one with a quiet laugh, "My dad used to always bring me milk and cookies before bed. Back before I came here. Mum would read me a story and tuck me in and then dad would sneak in with some cookies."

"What are your parents like?" I asked, fascinated. My own father was never really loving, but my mother would shower me with affection.

"They're both dentists. They work on people's teeth. They're great people. I always knew I was loved; even when I was in trouble."

"Ha. Trouble? You got in trouble?"

"Despite popular belief, I'm a hellion outside of school. When I was smaller, I'd hang out with the neighborhood kids and we'd run around pranking our parents all the time," she said with a wistful smile.

"Huh. So the bookworm has a wild side." I murmered

She slapped my arm lightly, "Don't you tell anyone that. I have a reputation to uphold."

"Well, darling, I hate to break it to you, but I think your reputation is ruined. You've been seen snogging me."

"I'd think that'd ruin your reputation more than mine." She teased

I shook my head and bit into a cookie. It was going to be a long week, I knew. I was happy to have this night. This one night before all hell broke loose. This one night of peace and happiness before I had to face the world tomorrow. But I knew it'd be okay. Hermione was going to go through the same stuff I was. We had each other, at least.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"OI! GET UP, YOU LAZY BASTARD!" Draco and I jerked awake at the loud yell, looking around frantically.

"Blaise! What the hell are you doing?" Draco asked groggily, falling back down on the bed and throwing an arm over his eyes.

"I should ask you that, I think." Blaise said, mirth filling his voice.

"Oh, they're just sleeping. They're fully clothes and everything. Pity." Another voice cut in.

Ginny stepped in through the portrait hole with a grin on her face, "Ron's pissed, 'Mione. Good job."

I groaned, "What do you want Ginny?"

"Well, I figured you'd need some support today. It may be Sunday, but you've still got to go to meals." She shrugged, "I ran into Blaise in the corridor and he was thinking the same thing, but he was more concerned for Malfoy."

"So, you guys just barged in here, woke us up, to tell us that we need bodyguards?" Draco groaned

"Yep, pretty much!" Blaise said with a cheeky smile on his face, "I mean, I know you come off all mean and stuff, but you're really just a big wuss."

Draco sat up and threw an indignant look at Blaise, "I am not a wuss! I can take you!"

"Boys." I sighed, "It's too early to argue."

"Get up, Mione! Get up, get up, get up! Time to face the day!" Ginny sang as she bounced over to where Blaise was standing.

Blaise looked down at her with a peculiar look on his face and I glanced questioningly at Draco. He leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Blaise has a thing for redheads."

"Oh.. Ginny has a thing for Italian boys." I whispered back

Draco laughed loudly and swung his legs off the bed, "Well, this'll be fun, then. Come on. Up, love. We'll have to face them eventually." He offered his hand to me and I took it and allowed him to pull me off the bed.

We both disappeared into our bedrooms to get dressed. I could hear Ginny and Blaise talking as I threw on a pair on muggle jeans and a green sweater with a pair of black flats. If I had to face the whole school today, I was going to be comfy while I did it. I exited my room and saw that Draco had, apparently, had the same idea. He was dressed in a pair of muggle jeans with a tight black t-shirt that showed off his muscles famously.

"Hey, stop undressing him with your eyes!" Ginny yelled, causing me to blush and duck my head as I walked over to join them by the door. Draco walked over and entwined his fingers with mine and led me out of the portrait hole. Ginny and Blaise walked in front of us as we made our way down to breakfast.

"I can't do this. I can't." I whispered frantically as I pulled myself to a stop in the Entrance Hall.

"Yes, you can. I'm right here." Draco whispered in my ear. He draped an arm across my shoulders and pulled me closer to him before walking into the Great Hall. We slowly made our way over to where Ginny and Blaise were sitting at the Slytherin table. All talk in the hall ceased as we were noticed. I fought to keep my head up. I had to stay strong. I had to.

"Oi! Mind your own business!" Ginny yelled at the gawking students.

Slowly, people began to talk again, but it was obvious what they were talking about from the glances that Draco and I were getting.

"Bloody nosy students." Blaise muttered.

"Take a deep breath." Draco whispered in my ear.

I glanced at him and saw a wary look on his face. I followed his gaze and saw Harry and Ron slowly making their way over to us. I took the deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Hey, boys." I said quietly as the reached the table.

"Why, may I ask, are you sitting over here?" Ron ground out.

"Because you gits won't accept Malfoy at the Gryffindor table." Ginny answered for me.

"And you think the Slytherins accept you and Hermione?" Harry asked incredulously

"No. I know they don't accept us. The difference is that we have these two boys who will stand up for us and protect us." Ginny said, "I wish I could say the same would be true of you two, but I just don't think it would."

"Harry, Ron, you're welcome to join us if you can accept the choices that Ginny and I have made." I said softly.

"Choices that.. that.. what choice has Ginny made?!" Ron stuttered

I threw a grin at Ginny as her face grew red, "Why don't you ask her?"

"Mione, I'm going to kill you. I haven't even fully decided anything yet!" she ground out.

"Oh, you have. You're just not willing to admit it yet. I know you, Gin. You've already made up your mind."

"I'm confused." Blaise cut in.

"Yeah, me too, mate." Draco said as he looked between me and Ginny, "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later." I said cheekily as Ginny tried to kick me under the table.

Harry and Ron looked baffled, but didn't say anything. They slowly sat down beside us. I beamed at them, "Thank you."

"We're only doing it because of you, Mione. We still hate the oaf." Harry said

"I am not an oaf!" Draco said indignantly

"Coulda fooled me." Blaise mumbled.

Ginny giggled as Draco flung a piece of bacon at Blaise.

I watched the interaction with a smile on my face.

_Maybe this won't be so bad._

"Sweet mother of Merlin, this school is full of demons! Demons I tell you!" Draco yelled as he slammed the portrait shut behind him. He sagged against the wall for a moment before making his way over to one of large chairs and sinking into it.

"Have a rough day?" I asked sweetly

"Didn't you?" he answered incredulously

"No, actually. Ginny is really very terrifying when she wants to be. She's an excellent bodyguard. Hardly anyone got past her." I said smugly

Draco groaned and let his head drop into his hands, "Bloody Zabini. He wants to stop and talk to everyone he sees. I swear he's a bloody woman some days."

I giggled as I walked up behind him and gently started to work the knots out of his shoulders. I felt his muscles begin to relax under my ministrations. He sighed in satisfaction as the last of the tension left his broad shoulders, "Merlin, where did you learn to do that?"

"I lived with Harry and Ron for six years, remember? They would always be all tensed up after Quidditch and they wouldn't focus on homework unless they relaxed." I felt, more than saw, Draco roll his eyes.

"Pansies." He muttered.

I smiled and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "I have an idea. It'll make this whole day seem worth it."

Draco snapped head around to look at me excitedly, "Yeah?"

"Yep! Know what it is?" I grinned

"I have a thought."

"Wanna know what it is?"

"Do tell, please." Draco said enthusiastically

"We're making cookies!"

"That's not what my thought was."

I chucked at the disappointment that was spreading over his features and reached around to grab his hand. Pulling Draco up and off the couch was a difficult feat, but soon I was dragging him along behind me and into the kitchen.

"How do you make cookies?" he asked sulkily

"What do you mean, "how do you make cookies?" Didn't you ever make them when you were a kid?" I asked incredulously

"No. I just asked a house elf for cookies and I got them." Draco shrugged.

I gaped at him, "Well, that is so inhumane! We will be using the oven."

Draco followed my pointing finger and put his hands up as he backed away, "I am not going anywhere near that death contraption. I don't know what it is, but I know it gets hot and it will burn me again."

"Again?" I asked

"A story for another day. The point is that I am not going near it." Draco said, a note of finality in his voice.

"Oh, yes, you are Mr. Malfoy. Don't worry. I'll be right here beside you the whole time. And the end result will be completely worth it. I promise."

Draco did not look reassured. I rolled my eyes and started pulling everything I would need out of the cabinets. I laid everything out on the table and proceeded to instruct Draco on what the process was.

"Now, dump the flour in the bowl and you're ready to mix it!" I said gleefully ten minutes later.

"Okay," Draco said uncertainly as he poured the measured flour into the mixing bowl and picked up the whisk to mix the batter. Draco began to stir it and I watched, amused, as his tongue poked out between his teeth when the mixture began to get thicker. The bowl began spinning and moving with his vigorous movements.

"Draco, be careful, the flour is still on the table!" I managed to say just as the bowl knocked the bag of flour into the floor at Draco's feet. A large white cloud of powder engulfed Draco. I flicked my wand and the flour cloud disappeared.

My hand flew to my mouth as I looked at Draco, trying to keep my laughter inside. He was staring at me, eyes wide with shock and flour covering his face, hair, and shirt, "So, there's a mirror just outside the kitchen door. You should go check yourself out real quick, love." I chuckled.

Draco stiffly walked out the door and I followed him, slowly.

"My hair." He said weakly, a look of horror on his features, "My hair. It's ruined."

"I tried to warn you.." I trailed off, "But, you didn't listen very well. Go take a shower. It'll come right out. I'll finish the cookies."

I laughed as Draco dragged his feet across the common room floor and disappeared into his room. _Men_, I thought, _a bunch of sissies, the lot of them._ I used my wand to clean up the remaining mess and then I finished mixing the cookie dough. I dropped spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking sheet and stuck it in the oven. I then grabbed a book and sat down at the kitchen table to read until my timer went off.

I looked up when Draco wandered back into the kitchen ten minutes later, "Hey. Feel better?"

"Yes, actually." Draco said as he walked toward me, never breaking eye contact. He had a look in his eyes that made me evacuate my chair and move to the other side of the table.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked nervously as I kept backing away from him.

"Like, what?" he asked as he slowly stalked toward me, very predator like, taking in every move I made from my shifting eyes to my fidgeting fingers. I was pretty sure he could even see the butterflies that were taking over my stomach all of a sudden.

"Like you plan to – to eat me or something." I stuttered as my back hit the countertop.

"Maybe I do." He said quietly as he stopped just a space away from me. I could feel the heat coming off of his body, even though we weren't touching. The way he was staring at me intently caused my breath to hitch and I had to keep reminding myself that oxygen was essential to my life. I wanted to reach out and pull him closer to me, to make his body mold to mine, but I knew that if I initiated the contact, there would be no going back. So I clenched my shaking hands into fists and forced them to remain at my sides. Malfoy's lips quirked into a smirk as he noticed this action and he leaned down, his lips just a breath away from mine, "Maybe I want to take you out of this room and feast on you."

"I – I – I don't.. I don't think that's a very good.. a very good idea." I stuttered, trying to make my brain focus on something other than how close he was and how good he smelt.

"Are you sure about that, Granger? You're body says otherwise, I think." He murmured as he looked at my dilated pupils and took in my quick, shallow breathing. He started to move his head closer, his lips skimmed mine – and then there a shrill ring that sounded throughout the kitchen. I breathed a sigh of relief as Malfoy jumped away from me, trying to find the source of the sudden alarm. I quickly slid over to the stove, glad to busy myself with another task.

"Cookies!" I declared, far too much glee evident in my voice if the look Draco gave me was anything to go by, "Sit! You have to try these! I can't believe you've never made cookies!" I was glad to babble on about anything that would continue to distract me from the look Draco was giving me. And the cookies did a fantastic job of clearing his intoxicating smell from my senses.

I placed a cookie in front of Draco and watched as he warily picked it up.

"It's warm." He stated, surprised.

"Well, yeah.. That's the best time to eat them." I said, surprised that he'd never had a cookie fresh from the oven.

He took a bite and I watched in satisfaction as his eyes closed and his lips turned up into a small smile, "Oh, Merllin. These are fantastic. Why did I never have these as a kid?"

I smiled as I watched the childlike happiness spread across Draco's face, "I'm glad you like them." I stood up and moved to the sink. I began to wash the dishes that I'd used and froze when I felt a warm body press against my back and large hands come to rest on my hips.

"We're not finished, Granger." He murmured in my ear, "I won't give up on you."

And then he was gone, the kitchen door swinging shut behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Why does nothing ever just work like it should?!

`I sighed and looked around my room. Clothes were everywhere and I still didn't know what I was going to wear. Today was the Hogsmeade trip before the Christmas Ball. Only the Christmas Ball wasn't why I was so nervous. Oh, I was nervous about finding the perfect dress, as all girls were, but today was a very special and important day for me. Today was mine and Draco's first date. He'd asked me last night if he could take me on a date since we had to be in Hogsmeade anyway to supervise the younger students. He'd informed me that I needed to dress nicely, but not over the top. So now I was at a loss as to what I was going to wear. Then I saw an outfit that I had gotten over the summer as an interview outfit. I had known that any interviews I may have would be at the end of the school year, but when had I ever put anything off when I could do it right then? So I'd bought the outfit and shoved it way back in my closet. I grinned, thinking of the look that would be on Draco's face when he saw it. It was business casual, but I knew I looked damn good in it, too. I slipped on a pair of pantyhose, the skirt, and shirt before sliding my feet into a pair of black flats. I pulled my hair up into a messy ponytail and left my bangs to fall across my forehead with a few tendrils of my hair framing my face. I looked in the mirror and smiled. The bright red satin shirt hugged my curves and showed just a hint of cleavage while the black pencil skirt accented my hourglass figure. The flats helped to tone down the outfit and make it look more casual. My hair was put up, but somehow it managed to look sexy and elegant at the same time. I wasn't usually one to admire myself, but I had to admit that I looked great today. So, with one last glace at the mirror, I turned and exited my bedroom.

Draco was waiting for me by the fireplace. He didn't notice me immediately as he was staring into the flames, looking deep in thought. I took this moment to take him in. He looked good. Like, really good. He was in a pair of dark wash jeans that were fitted nicely around his rear, hips, and thighs, but looser around the rest of his legs. He had matched that with a black dress shirt that made his broad shoulders look broader, tucked into his pants with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of black dress shoes. His hair was masterfully ruffled, managing to look like he had just rolled out of bed, had crazy sex, and was professionally styled all at the same time. I cleared my throat lightly, calling his attention to the fact that I was ready to go. He turned to look at me and a smile slid across his face as he took my appearance in. I nervously wrung my hands behind my back as his eyes roamed over me.

"Do I look okay?" I asked anxiously

It took a moment for Draco to respond, but the look in his eyes made my breath hitch when he finally looked at my face, "You look divine." He growled, a primal tone to his voice.

I blushed and ducked my head. I heard him walking over to me and then felt his fingers under my chin, causing me to raise my head again, "You're beautiful."

And he placed a soft, sweet kiss against my lips.

I smiled at him when he pulled back, "You look good, too."

"Shall we?" he offered me his arm and I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow. He led me out of the common room and then we were on our way to Hogsmeade. We didn't say a lot on the way there, just walked in companionable silence.

"Where are we eating?" I asked, realizing that he'd never told me where he was taking me.

"You'll see." He said with a grin, "It's a surprise."

I shook my head, but let Draco lead me through Hogsmeade. We walked past all the main shops and turned down a side street. I looked around in surprise. I'd never been to this part of Hogsmeade. It was the fancier part of the village and most students stuck with the stores that had cheaper products. I gasped as I realized where Draco was leading me.

"No. Absolutely not. I will not let you spend this much money on me." I said, coming to a halt in the middle of the road.

"You don't have a choice. You agreed to let me take you on a date. When you agreed to that, you agreed to this." Draco gently pulled me the rest of the way to the restaurant.

It was a new restaurant, but I had read about it in the Daily Prophet. _Paradis _was the name of the restaurant, written in fancy lettering across the dark glass doors. I smiled at the name, which means paradise in English. I turned to face Draco, "Seriously. This is way too expensive. You don't need to spend this much money on me. Especially on me."

"I would rather spend it on you than anybody else. Hermione, please, just go with it? For me? I want to do this for you. I want you to have this experience and I want to be the one to have given it to you." Draco said sincerely.

I sighed and nodded my head, "On one condition. I'm paying for desert."

Draco laughed and intertwined our fingers before opening the door and guiding me into the building. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the elegant restaurant. There was a massive silver chandelier hanging from the ceiling, crystals draping between the main structure and candles lining the limbs of the chandelier. Wall scones were at two foot intervals around the whole room, giving the entire restaurant a soft, romantic glow. There were booths lining the walls and smaller tables set up in the middle of the room. On each table were three black candles, glowing softly around a vase of wildflowers. The floors were wooden and polished to shine. There weren't very many people eating right at the time because it was only eleven o'clock, just before lunchtime. The waiters wore black dress pants and black dress shoes with silver silk shirts and a black tie. The waitresses were dressed in silver dress shirts, black pencil skirts, and silver heels. I snapped back to attention as the hostess approached us. She wore black dress pants, silver flats, and a sparkling silver top.

"Can I help you?" she asked with a smile on her face

"Yes, I made reservations last week. Malfoy." Draco said with a grin in my direction

"Last week? You've been planning this?" I asked quietly

"Oh course I have." He answered, sounding amused, as the hostess led us to a booth in the back, away from the other customers. She handed us our menus, took our drink orders, and promised to be back shortly.

I let my eyes wander all over the restaurant. It really was very elegant and beautiful. I glanced at the menu and felt my eyes widen. I'd never eaten anywhere that was so expensive.

"Draco, are you sure about this?" I asked, still staring at the prices.

"Yes. I am absolutely positive. Order anything you want. I swear this will not put a dent of any kind into my savings." He laughed at my wide-eyed stare, "Hermione, have you forgotten who I am? I'm Draco Malfoy. I am the owner of the family business now that Father is in Azkaban. I promise to you that this is nothing. Order whatever pleases you."

"You never told me you had taken over your Father's company." I said in surprise

Draco shrugged, "I don't have to do a whole lot right now. When I get out of school, I'll be more actively involved, of course. As it is now, I just have to glance over the monthly reports and make sure that all of the money is going to the right places and being spent properly."

"Oh. Well, that's fantastic, Draco. I had no idea you were doing that." I said with a small smile, proud of him for being so grown up. My smile grew as I saw the light blush spread over his cheeks. He was spared having to answer me with the return of the waitress. She placed our drinks in front of us and then took our orders. We both ordered chicken alfredo and handed over our menus.

"So now you know what I'm doing after school. What are you planning on going into?" Draco asked me, sounding genuinely curious.

"Well, I think I want to be a Healer." I said, shyly.

"Really? That'd be really nice. I think you would be excellent."

"I've always been good with healing spells and potions. Essence of Dittany is one potion that I became excellent at making during the war." I explained, "And I like to help people. It makes me feel like all of my time spent studying is paid off."

Draco smiled at me and leaned forward slightly to grab my hand across the table, "Whatever you decide to do, you will be the best at it. You are the brightest witch of the age, afterall."

I chuckled, "I know I am. I just hate sounding conceited all the time so I try to avoid that nickname."

"Granger, you couldn't avoid it if you tried."

Our food arrived a short time later and Merlin was it delicious. We ate our food leisurely and we talked in between bites. An hour later I was stuffed and knew considerably more about Draco than I did before. His favorite colors were black and silver, his dad was in Azkaban while he and his mother had been forgiven for their part in the war after Harry, Ron, and Hermione's testimonies, but they still had to undergo monthly check ups to make sure that they weren't doing anything illegal, he loved to run, and he hated rain. Draco had, in turn, learned quite a bit about me. I'd told him that my favorite colors were blue and green, my parents were in Australia and still did not remember me (a story for another day), I loved to run also, and I hated snow and being cold.

Draco paid for our meal, ignoring my grumbling, and we made our way back to the main shops with the other students. I was meeting up with Ginny to shop for our dresses and accessories while Draco was going shopping for Christmas presents. I'd gotten presents for everybody except Draco and I planned to do that today while I was with Ginny.

"So, I'll see you back in the common room?" I asked as we came to a stop outside of the Three Broomsticks

"You most certainly will. Have fun shopping with Weaselette. I can't wait to see this dress you're going to get." Draco said teasingly

I lightly slapped his arm, "Her name is Ginny. And who says you get to see the dress?"

"Well, I have to so I can match it." Draco said, smirking

I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my ear against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. His arms wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me closer. Draco placed a soft kiss on the top of my head, "You'd better go or you'll run out of time. I'll see you back at the school."

I turned my face up expectantly, waiting for a kiss, and I was not disappointed. Draco's lips brushed against mine and I sighed happily. I felt him smile against my mouth and I flicked my tongue out lightly, just brushing his bottom lip. This was the only invitation he needed to deepen the kiss and my hands tightened on his hips as I fought to hold myself upright when my knees just wanted to give out. We broke apart quickly when someone cleared their throat. My cheeks were flaming as I looked at Ginny. She had one eyebrow raised and a Malfoy-worthy smirk on her lips.

"Having fun, are we?" She asked mischievously

"Oh, shove it, Gin." I muttered as I tried to tame the blush that was still spreading over my cheeks.

I heard Draco chuckle and I looked up at him questioningly. He just smiled, "It could have been worse. It could have been Potter or Weasley who walked up on us."

I sighed, knowing he was right. We hugged one last time, he kissed my cheek, and Ginny dragged me off to the nearest dress shop. We seemed to have missed the rush as most girls went shopping before eating lunch. Thank Merlin for that because I simply despised trying to shop when there was a large crowd in the store. Especially when that large crowd consisted of crazy, emotional girls who were determined to find that perfect dress to impress all the guys. I shuddered at the thought of the rampage that must have gone on in this store earlier. There were still plenty of dresses, but you could tell that they had definitely been picked over. With a sigh, Ginny and I began going through each rack and coming up empty handed. An hour later I'd found a pair of heels, a beautiful sapphire necklace and matching earrings, but no dress. Ginny, luckily, had managed to find a dress that she fell in love with at first sight. It was a gold, halter-top, floor length ball gown. The top was fitted nicely and the skirt flared out just above her hips and fell in layers down to the floor. She looked like a queen in it. She had found heels to match and said that she had jewelry to wear with it in her dormitory.

"I think I'll just have to go look somewhere else, Gin. I can't find anything here that is right." I said sadly

Ginny nodded and went to pay for her items. I turned to follow her and then I saw it. The dress was tucked back into a corner, almost completely hidden behind a few other dresses. The very bottom of the skirt was just visible, but as soon as it caught my eye, I knew I'd be buying it. I pulled it out and heard a soft gasp behind me.

"That's it. That's the one. It is so just.. you. You'll look absolutely gorgeous in that, Mione." Ginny said softly, "Go try it on. I want to see."

I smiled and made my way into the dressing room. I slipped into the dress, looked in the mirror and smiled. I was totally getting it. I stepped out to show Ginny and a grin spread over her features. She squealed and clapped as I spun to show her the back, "Oh, Draco is going to just die when he sees you!"

The dress was a light ice green with a blue-green tulle overcoat. It was strapless and fitted around the bust with an empire waistline. The skirt fell in simple layers to the floor and there was a crystal starburst design on the left side of the bodice. My necklace, earrings, and shoes would complement the color of the dress beautifully. Draco would love it. I smiled, changed back into my clothes, and then paid for my purchases.

"So, are we ready to go back to school?" Ginny asked as we walked out of the dress shop

"Actually, I have one more thing I need to do." I said with a small smile, "You can go on and head back though. I'll be there shortly."

Ginny smiled and headed back to the castle while I walked across the street and into another shop.

"Hi, my name's Hermione Granger. I have a package waiting to be picked up." I smiled at the front desk attendant.

"Right away, miss. I'll be right back." He said politely and walked into the backroom. The young man returned just a minute later with a small package that had my name written on it, "It says you've already paid for it, so here you go. Happy Christmas, Miss Granger!"

"And the same to you!" I grinned as I exited the shop, knowing that Draco would love what I'd gotten him. I had ordered it last time we were in Hogsmeade and had only just gotten the notification that it was ready for pick up earlier in the week.

The Christmas Ball was in exactly one week, the Saturday before Christmas. Students were scheduled to go home the day after the Ball. Draco and I had planned this one all by ourselves as we wanted all of the students and staff to be surprised. McGonagall had, of course, helped a little, but she was the only teacher who knew what we had planned. This week was going to fly by and for once, I hoped it really did.

Hermione's dress: /images/201303/source_img/2013_Prom_Dresses_A_Line _Floor_Length_Green_Sweetheart_Tulle_PD0064_origin al_img_13637619259823_64_.jpg

Ginny's dress:

albu_324401383_00-1.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Would you give me just a few bloody minutes?" I yelled irritably at my closed door.

There was a three second pause in the pounding on the wood, "You've been in there for three ruddy hours!"

I rolled my eyes at Ginny, who shrugged, and we both turned back to face the vanity mirror in my bedroom. Ginny and I had locked ourselves into my room shortly after lunch in order to get ready for the Christmas Ball. We had decided to go all out on this one and turn it into a complete girls' day for ourselves. We had slept in, taken long luxurious baths, and walked around in fluffy bathrobes while our fingernails and toenails were painted and drying. Then we had gone down to lunch in sweatpants and t-shirts, ate as fast as we could, and came back here. We had spent the last three hours giving each other facials, doing our hair and makeup, and getting dressed. Draco had been pounding on my door for the last thirty minutes demanding that we come out and talk to him. He was bored, he said.

"Granger, I'm serious, we have to go! Seeing as only McGonagall and us know what the place is supposed to look like, we're supposed meet her there to do last minute decorating! And we have ten minutes before she comes storming in here to drag us out!" Draco was still pounding on my door.

I took one last glance at myself in the vanity mirror before standing up, "He's right, Gin. I've got to go. I'll see you at the Ball. You look gorgeous."

"Thanks. You do, too, you know. Go on. I'll be fine here." Ginny gave me a gentle shove in the direction of my door.

I opened it cautiously so that I didn't get hit in the case that Draco was about to knock on the door. Again.

"About bloody ti—" Draco cut himself off as I walked out and stood in front of him, "Merlin, you look.. you look absolutely beautiful." He said softly as his eyes took in everything from my hair to my shoes.

I blushed and ducked my head, "Thanks."

I felt fingers under my chin, gently lifting my face. I let my eyes roam over Draco's face, across his broad shoulders, down his chest and stomach, to his slim hips and his long legs. He looked great. He was wearing a muggle suit that emphasized his shoulders and long legs. His tie even matched my dress with its light green color. I grinned at his choice of shoes to wear with the suit.

"I hate dress shoes." Draco said with a chuckle as he noticed what I was looking at, "These are much comfier."

"Oh, I agree. I just never pegged you as one for Converse." I smiled up at him.

"We learn something new every day, yeah? Come on; let me go show you off."

Draco led me through the castle at a slow pace, just so we had some time to ourselves before the madness of the Ball. I think he knew I was nervous. This was really our very first big show for the school as a couple. Sure, they'd seen us in the corridors and in Hogsmeade, but that was only in passing and they'd never seen us being affectionate. This Ball was big. The whole school would be watching us dance and talk. They would have their eyes on us all night – We were, after all, the biggest scandal in the past seven years at Hogwarts.

"Ready?" I felt his breath ghost over my ear and down my neck as we stood outside the Great Hall.

"No. No I'm not." I said as my nerves got the better of me.

He chuckled and I sent a glare over my shoulder at him. He just smiled and intertwined our fingers, "You look beautiful. Let them stare and whisper. This night is all about us. I don't care what they have to say."

I smiled, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here. For not running. For being my best friend."

"I'm your best friend?" he sounded surprised

"Yeah, you've become my best friend this year. We spend the majority of our time together. You and Ginny are the closest friends I have. I have Harry and Ron, but we're not as close as we used to be.." I trailed off as I realized that I was babbling.

"Well, you're welcome. I hope you don't change your mind. Because you're pretty much my best friend, too."

I grinned, "Let's go. We're early so there shouldn't be anybody in here yet."

The Great Hall looked perfect already. There were the traditional twelve Christmas trees already spread around the large hall decorated with enchanted snow. I think there were actually fairies twinkling in the branches. The floor had been charmed to look like a frozen lake and there were ice sculpture spread in between the tables in the shapes of trees, snowflakes, and stockings. There were round tables spread around the perimeter of the room that could seat up to six people. Right beside the doors was a large table filled with desserts and drinks. Before the dance, we had planned a feast. The tables were all set with dishes and goblets of pumpkin juice that would automatically refill as they emptied. I smiled as I looked around the room.

"What else do we need to add?" Draco asked

"McGonagall wanted us to change the house banners. She wants the school crest on all of them instead of the individual houses. Other than that, just whatever we want to add." I shrugged.

"Okay," Draco flicked his wand and the banners all turned silver and had the school crest in black printed on them, "I was thinking that we could add enchanted snow to fall from the ceiling. Boring, I know, but it's kind of traditional."

"Okay. I have another idea. Candles are too.. Halloween-ish. Can we enchant the ice sculptures to glow? There are enough of them that it should light the whole room."

Draco cast the charm for the enchanted snow while I walked to each sculpture and cast the charm to make them glow. Draco banished the candles that were floating above us as the finishing touch. We looked around and grinned at each other in satisfaction. McGonagall entered just a few moments and looked around. I swear I saw a small smile grace her stern features.

"Well done. Is everything ready?"

"Yes, Professor." We chorused.

"The students are beginning to arrive. I shall leave the doors open. I will leave it up to you two to direct them to the tables. I will be back shortly and then you two will give an opening statement before the feast."

"Yes, Professor."

As the students poured in we directed them to the tables. It took around fifteen minutes for all of the students to be seated. I glanced at Draco as he pointed the last couple over to a table in the far corner. Everybody was watching us. _Vultures, the lot of them._

Draco looked down at me with a gentle smile and nodded. I looked at the student body, packed in at the tables, waiting expectantly, "Hello, everybody! I hope you are all prepared to eat and dance to your heart's content. There will be a feast appearing on your tables shortly and after that, the dance will begin. There are desserts and refreshments over on the table located by the doors."

"And with that, let the feast begin!" Draco finished as the food appeared on the plates.

The other students all grinned and began to dig in, chattering excitedly. Draco wrapped his arm around mine and led me over to the table where Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Lavender were seated. I turned to Lavender and Ginny and joined in their conversation about all the girls' dresses, making sure to halfway listen to the boys – just to make sure that no fights were going to be started. Luckily, Harry and Ron seemed to be making an effort and all three of them were talking about Quidditch. I breathed a small sigh of relief. I knew that Harry and Draco would be civil, if only for me, but I had been worrying about Ron. He can't exactly control his temper most of the time, but he seemed to be trying and I was happy with that. Dinners went by smoothly and as the last of the plates were cleared off, Draco stood up and held his hand out to me.

"Dance with me?" he asked

"But of course." I giggled as I took his hand and let him lead me out to the center of the room. Everybody was suddenly silent, watching to see what would happen. Soft instrumental music began to play and everybody looked around for the source. I grinned because Draco and I had put disillusionment charms on the speakers for exactly this reason. Draco placed his hands on my hips and I laced my fingers together behind his neck. He pulled me as close as he could and I rested my head on his chest as he led me around the room in a slow dance. I closed my eyes and smiled happily, forgetting all-together that there were other people in the room. I opened my eyes as the song ended and another began. I was completely surprised to see that the dance floor was full of other couples now, twirling around each other and entwining in an elegant pattern.

Draco chuckled at the surprised look on my face and tilted my chin up a bit so that I could see his eyes, "Forget where you were?"

"A little, " I said softly as I felt a blush spread over my cheeks.

"Well, let's forget some more."

We danced all night. There were fast songs, slow songs, instrumental, and vocal songs. Everybody was laughing and smiling and talking. There were no fights or complaints. In fact, we even got a lot of compliments.

As the last song faded away, McGonagall stood up from the faculty table and the student body turned to face her, "Well, everyone, this is it. I hope you all had a joyous evening. I believe thanks are in order for the Headboy and Headgirl who single-handedly organized this whole event – "

She was cut off as the students began to cheer and clap. I blushed and Draco just smiled graciously. The applause faded and McGonagall continued, "Now, off to bed, the lot of you. The train will leave tomorrow afternoon at promptly 4 o'clock. Goodnight."

With that, everybody filed out of the Great Hall, leaving Draco and I standing in the middle of an empty room. I yawned and noticed him do the same.

"Let's get these decorations down so we can go to bed." I said tiredly, stifling another yawn.

Draco nodded and cleared the floor of the ice illusion and stopped the enchanted snow. I banished the ice sculptures and turned the house banners back to their normal appearance. We left the trees for Hagrid to take care of and the tables were up to McGonagall. When everything was back to normal – or as normal as they'd get for the night – we made our way back up to our dormitory.

I flopped down on the couch, too tired to do anything but kick my shoes off. Draco flopped down beside me and settled his arm over my shoulders, "So.."

"So.." I repeated

"That went well."

"Yes, it did." I smiled, "Thank you."

"What for this time?"

"For getting along with my friends. I know you don't really like them, but thank you for making the effort."

"Anything for you, love." He murmured.

I laid my head down against his shoulder and stared at the flames that were flickering in the fireplace.

"Draco?" I asked quietly

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why has Pansy not been around?" I asked hesitantly

"What do you mean?" he said, turning his head to look down at me

"Well, in all the previous school years, she's been hanging all over you. I always thought you guys were together. But she hasn't really been around this year at all." I explained nervously. I don't know what had prompted me to ask, really. It had just hit me at the end of the dance that she hadn't tried to get Draco to dance with her.

Draco sighed heavily, "Well, it's kind of a long story. But I'll do my best to shorten it. You see, Pansy and I grew up together. We attended all the same functions and our parents regularly visited each other for tea, leaving Pansy and I to play together. When we turned thirteen, we learned that our parents had high hopes that we would marry after school."

"What kind of parent would make marriage arrangements at such a young age?" I cut him off

"You weren't raised in the Pureblood circles. They are brutal. But on with the story. Neither of us wanted that. Sure, we grew up together, but in that time we formed a brother-sister bond. I am not attracted to her and she is not attracted to me. But you see, in Pureblood families, the parents make the decisions and the children do not argue. What our parents decide is all there is. We agree to their decisions no matter what."

"That's terrible." I said quietly

"I know. I got out of it because my dad went to Azkaban. I don't have anyone to make decisions for me anymore. Pansy, however, did not. She must still obey her father, who recently decided that I am a traitor."

"Because you're with me."

"In short, yes. He has forbid Pansy from seeing me. So now, the only time we get to really talk to each other is if we run into one another in an empty corridor between classes." Draco said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"But why did she always hang all over you? She was constantly throwing herself at you."

"For show. Once it became public that we were intended for each other, we had to start pretending. She would throw herself at me and I would accept it. She's nothing like you think, honestly. In public she's a snotty bitch, but once classes were over and we were in our dorms, she's actually really sweet. She's one of the most caring people you'd ever meet." Draco smiled softly, "I actually miss her. She was the person that I used to turn to for everything. When Father would be pressuring me about becoming a Deatheater or Mother would be after me about our marriage or school would get to be too much stress, I'd go talk to her and then everything was okay again."

"Oh.." I didn't know what to say to that. I was hearing a story that turned my experiences inside out. I was also ashamed to admit that I felt a hint of jealousy at the way Draco spoke of her; there was such love in his voice.

"Oh?" Draco asked, sounding slightly hesitant.

"I had no idea. I just always assumed she was a dumb bimbo after seeing how she acted. Now I feel kind of bad about that. Pureblood families are harsh, aren't they?"

"Yes. They are." Draco cleared his throat, "Anyway."

"Invite her over." I said suddenly

Draco turned to me, alarmed over my sudden outburst, "What?"

"Invite her over. If she means that much to you, bring her here. You can't see her in public right? So see her in private. Apparently, she's not a bad person. If you can make an effort to get along with my friends, I don't see why I can't do the same for you." I explained gently

Suddenly I couldn't breathe. Draco's arms were wrapped around me so tightly that I couldn't draw a proper breath, "Draco. Can't. Breathe."

"Sorry!" He stopped squeezing, but still had his arms wrapped around me, "You are amazing. Did you know that?"

"Why?" I gasped, still trying to catch my breath

"Nobody else would have ever understood. You are the first person I have ever known who can put aside seven years of hatred to help somebody."

I just smiled and leaned up to place a soft kiss on his cheek, "Go get her. I'll make some tea."

Draco jumped up and ran over to the door. He stopped and raced back over the sofa. He leaned down to place a kiss on my lips and give me another hug before disappearing out the door. I shook my head and smiled at his childish behavior. If I got to see him this happy, it was worth it to try to get along with Pansy. I stood up and entered the kitchen to start making the tea. I had just finished pouring three cups and levitating them into the common area. The portrait hole burst open as Draco entered the room, dragging a sleepy Pansy behind him. He led her to the sofa and gently pushed her onto a cushion.

"Draco? What's going on? Why did you drag me here at one in the morning?" Pansy asked, bewildered, "And why are you still wearing a suit?"

"Oh. I forgot I hadn't changed. Guess we should do that, huh?" Draco said as he looked down at himself in surprise.

"There's a cup of tea for you on the table, if you'd like it. Let us go change and then we'll talk, yeah?" I said softly, smiling at Pansy's look of surprise as she glanced at me.

"Yeah. O- Okay." She stuttered as she reached for her tea.

A few minutes later Draco was seated on the sofa beside Pansy while I was in one of the chairs closer to the fire.

"So, why am I here?" Pansy asked as she looked at Draco and then over to me

"Well, Hermione here, asked why we hadn't seen you this year. So I told her… the whole story." Draco said with a grin

"Oh!" Pansy said with surprise

I smiled at her, "If you mean that much to Draco, then I'm willing to get to know you. From what I've heard, you're not as snotty as you seemed to be."

Pansy chuckled, "I'm sorry about that. I hated being so rude to everybody, but you know, that's what my Father expected of me."

"I still don't really understand that, but Draco says that's what all Pureblood families are like." I said

Pansy nodded, "Yes, they are. It's quite unfair, really."

She took a sip of her tea and turned to Draco, "So, tell me about your year. I want to know everything."

I grinned as Draco immediately launched into the story of his year. From his Father's imprisonment to our rocky start to his classes and to how we had managed to form a relationship. Pansy sat silent through it all, completely focused on what Draco was saying. I could see why he had gone to talk to her. She listened to everything before talking or giving any feedback.

"Well, you've certainly had an interesting year. I'm sorry I wasn't here for the beginning of it." Pansy said once Draco had stopped talking. She turned to me, "Thank you for being here for him. You have no idea how worried I've been all year. Especially once I heard that you two had seemed to become an item. I knew myself and all of his other friends wouldn't be allowed to talk to him anymore. Given, Blaise obviously didn't care about that."

I smiled, "It's been my pleasure, really. He's not so bad once you get past the arrogant jerk part."

"Hey! I am not a jerk." Draco cut in.

"You were." I teased

He just grinned roguishly at me and turned to look at Pansy, "Tell me about your year. Anything new?"

Draco grin disappeared when tears filled Pansy's eyes, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked in a panic.

"Well.. Draco, I don't know how to say it.. I'm.. I'm pregnant." Pansy stuttered as the tears finally spilled over.


End file.
